Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Spencer Excerpts

Tuesday 9th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD)]

3. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer national insurance contributions on economic growth.

[Dr Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con)]

11. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer national insurance contributions on businesses.

[Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)]

14. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer national insurance contributions on economic growth.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dan Tomlinson]

I thank the hon. Member for being the first parliamentarian today who has not asked me, “Who will you be backing in the Labour deputy leadership contest?” I appreciate that very much.

When it comes to small businesses, in particular those in hospitality, overall employment has increased by 380,000 since the Government came to power. This week, I will be having discussions with members of UKHospitality to think about how we can support the sector more through the changes to business rates announced last year. We will come forward with more details on that in the Budget later this year.

[Dr Spencer]

I am not particularly interested in who the Minister is backing in the deputy leadership contest, but I welcome him to his place. Lebanese Please is a fantastic restaurant in Weybridge, but like many hospitality companies, it is struggling with the impact of national insurance increases. If the partly new Treasury Front-Bench team are considering going for a team lunch, I recommend the warm hospitality of Runnymede and Weybridge, where they can see for themselves the impact that this horrid, harmful tax is having on local businesses across the country.

[Dan Tomlinson]

I would not presume to know where the next Treasury ministerial awayday will happen, but perhaps we will have to consider the restaurant in the hon. Member’s constituency. He is a strong advocate for the businesses in his constituency. I hope he knows that I advocated from the Back Benches—and will continue to do so in government—for policies that we can implement to boost economic growth and living standards, so that more people have more money to spend in businesses such as the one he mentions in his constituency.