Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the level of financial pressure experienced during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a directors income support scheme based on company trading profits.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government recognises that many taxpayers have faced extremely difficult circumstances throughout this crisis.
The Government welcomes constructive proposals from stakeholders to improve the design of the SEISS, including the suggestion for a Directors Income Support Scheme (DISS) from the Federation of Small Businesses, ForgottenLtd, Re Legal Consulting Ltd, and ACCA UK. This proposal aims to provide a new system for company directors, based on reported profits. The Government has considered this proposal in detail and given feedback to its sponsors.
Company owner managers could be eligible for other elements of the support available, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (in respect of their salary but not their dividends), Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) names of suppliers, (b) agencies and (c) partners including staff procured via preferred suppliers such as (i) Crown Commercial Services Frameworks and (ii) Experis Ltd including staff engaged through Manpower Group and Elan Group prior to acquisition by HMRC from December 2010 to date; and will he make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
Since 2018, HMRC’s contingent labour staff are provided through Alexander Mann Solutions, who are supported by over 300 specialist recruitment agencies classified by their role category capability. Prior to this date, contingent labour was provided via Capita on a similar framework.
HMRC has a contractual relationship with the service provider rather than with any individual agency.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the names of (a) suppliers, (b) agencies and (c) partners including staff procured via preferred suppliers such as (i) Crown Commercial Services Frameworks and (ii) Experis Ltd including staff engaged through Manpower Group and Elan Group prior to acquisition by RCDTS from July 2015 to date; and will he make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only holds a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
Since 2018, HMRC’s contingent labour staff have been provided through Alexander Mann Solutions, who are supported by over 300 specialist recruitment agencies classified by their role category capability. Prior to this date, contingent labour was provided via Capita on a similar framework.
HMRC have a contractual relationship with the service provider rather than any individual agency.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to HMRC is of staff engaged by suppliers (a) Crown Commercial Services Frameworks and (b) Experis Ltd, alongside and in addition to any other known suppliers; and if will publish details of the engagement contracts of those other suppliers for each year from December 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
HMRC’s contingent labour staff are provided through Alexander Mann Solutions, who are supported by over 300 specialist recruitment agencies classified by their role category capability. Prior to this arrangement, contingent labour was provided via Capita on a similar framework. The outline of this spend is below.
Year | Supplier | Invoice Spend |
2017-2018 | CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD | £13,801,000 |
2018-2019 | ALEXANDER MANN SOLUTIONS | £18,290,000 |
2019-2020 | ALEXANDER MANN SOLUTIONS | £36,360,000 |
2020-2021 | ALEXANDER MANN SOLUTIONS | £24,030,000 |
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if will publish the names of umbrella companies to which payments were made by (a) suppliers, (b) agencies and (c) partners engaged by HMRC in each year since December 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with departmental retention policy and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
The majority of HMRC’s contracts are for contingent labour via an agency, and HMRC use the Crown Commercial Service’s framework contracts for this. These contractors form a flexible complement to HMRC’s workforce, sourced through an employment agency.
With contingent labour there is always at least one agency between HMRC and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract can be further sub-contracted, meaning there are multiple agencies between the department and the contractor themselves.
HMRC would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and are not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the names of umbrella companies to which payments were made by (a) suppliers, (b) agencies and (c) partners engaged by RCDTS in each year since July 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with retention policy and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, RCDTS only holds a complete central record of engagements from 2016 to present.
The majority of RCDTS’s contracts are for contingent labour via an agency, and RCDTS uses the Crown Commercial Service’s framework contracts for this. These contractors form a flexible complement to RCDTS’s workforce, sourced through an employment agency.
With contingent labour there is always at least one agency between RCDTS and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract can be further sub-contracted, meaning there are multiple agencies between RCDTS and the contractor themselves.
RCDTS would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and are not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff were engaged by suppliers (a) Crown Commercial Services Frameworks and (b) Experis Ltd in addition to any other known suppliers; and if he will publish details of the engagement contracts of those other suppliers in each year; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The number of contingent labour engagements since July 2015 for RCDTS is 233, of which 84 are current at the time this request was received.
HMRC's central record of engagements, created in 2016, provides 1,815 contracts of which 248 are still current. This is excluding the figures provided in relation to RCDTS.
This data has been extracted from HMRC’s system under the Crown Commercial Services Framework agreement, known as Public Sector Resourcing (PSR).
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) proportion of total staff engaged by RCDTS via an umbrella company or similar in either an (i) individual or (ii) limited company capacity in each year since July 2015 to date.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with retention policy and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, RCDTS only holds a complete central record of engagements from 2016 to present.
With contingent staff there is always at least one agency between RCDTS and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract may be further sub-contracted, so that there are multiple agencies between RCDTS and the contractor.
Umbrella companies are known to be used by off-payroll workers engaged via an intermediary and records show this to be the case for 102 or 43% of total engagements for which records are held.
RCDTS would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and is not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) proportion of total staff engaged by HMRC via an umbrella company or similar in an (i) individual and (ii) limited company capacity for each year since December 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
With contingent staff there is always at least one agency between HMRC and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract may be further sub-contracted, so that there are multiple agencies between the department and the contractor themselves.
Umbrella companies are known to be used by off-payroll workers engaged via an intermediary and records show this to be the case for 317 or 17% of total engagements for which records are held.
HMRC would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and are not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost is to RCDTS of staff engaged by suppliers (a) Crown Commercial Services Frameworks and (b) Experis Ltd, alongside and in addition to any other known suppliers; and if he will publish details of the engagement contracts of those other suppliers for each year since July 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to the present.
From HMRC records (2017 to date), RCDTS’ total spend on contingent staff is £31.7m.
The accuracy of this data is dependent on the correct categorisation of the spend and does not take into account any supplier duplication. It also does not take into account changes that may have taken place within this sector and supplier marketplace.