Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on workers covered by IR35 rules.
Answered by Jesse Norman
While no specific impact assessment has been made of the potential effect of COVID-19 on individuals affected by the off-payroll working rules (commonly known as IR35), the Government has recently announced that the reform to the off-payroll working rules for people contracting their services to large or medium-sized organisations outside the public sector will be delayed for one year, from 6 April 2020 until 6 April 2021. This is part of the additional support the Government is providing for businesses and individuals to deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19.
It is right for the Government to do whatever it can to support all parts of the labour market at this time. The Government remains committed to introducing this policy in order to address the unfairness of non-compliance with the existing off-payroll working rules. However, it also recognises that the reform is a significant change for both businesses and contractors. Delaying the reform will support them, as they will not need to implement and adjust to the reform until next year.
The Government very much values the contribution of flexible workers to the UK economy, but it is also under an obligation to ensure fairness between individuals who work in a similar way. The Government has published a factsheet which provides further information on the reform: https://bit.ly/2Uu50k8
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that (a) have been and (b) will be lost in the UK as a result of the planned IR35 off-payroll roll-out.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The off-payroll working rules are designed to ensure that someone working like an employee, but through a company, pays similar levels of tax to other employees. It is fair that individuals who work in a similar way should pay broadly the same amount of tax. The rules do not apply to the self-employed or stop anyone working through their own company.
The Government has not seen any evidence that indicates an overall change in demand for the services and skills that contractors offer. Independent research on the impacts of the reform in the public sector showed that it did not reduce market flexibility or impact use of contingent labour. This research will be updated and shared with parliament before the reform applies in April 2021. Furthermore, at Budget 2018 the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) did not judge the upcoming reform to have any specific macroeconomic impacts.
The Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) published in July 2019 sets out HMRC’s assessment that the reform is expected to impact 170,000 individuals working through their own company, who would be employed if engaged directly. Those who are complying with the existing rules should feel little impact. The TIIN can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether workers covered by IR35 rules are eligible for (a) Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, (b) the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and (c) other financial support schemes established by the Government to support people facing loss of work and income as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has announced a package of support for individuals to deal with lost income and the costs of absence due to COVID-19. For those within the off-payroll working rules working in the public sector, the Government expects many public sector organisations to continue to pay staff and not to furlough them.
Owner-managers paying themselves a salary through PAYE can benefit from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). For companies with a sole director, directors can continue to undertake their statutory duties while furloughed and still be eligible for the CJRS, as long as they do not work beyond these duties. They can use the CJRS portal to claim for 80% of usual monthly wage costs up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions for that wage.
Individuals who are employed by a Personal Service Company (PSC) are entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) on the same terms as any other employee. PSCs which are eligible and make payments under SSP as a result of COVID-19 will be entitled to a rebate where they meet the criteria of that scheme. Those not eligible for SSP (e.g. the self-employed and very low earners) will be able to receive support through the benefits system.
SMEs may also have access to support through the temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). CBILS supports SMEs with loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million, for up to six years. In addition, the Government has created the Bounce-Back Loans Scheme, which is designed to ensure that the smallest businesses can access loans of up to £50,000 in a matter of just days. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.
Individuals who have paid sufficient National Insurance Contributions, including through multiple jobs, will be entitled to new style Employment and Support Allowance. If they have not made sufficient contributions, they can apply for Universal Credit. These individuals will benefit from the Budget announcements to remove the seven day wait in new style Employment and Support Allowance and, if they are self-employed, the Minimum Income Floor in Universal Credit.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of whether an increase in the proportion of employees covered by group income protection insurance would support the Government’s aim to reduce ill health-related job loss.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government consulted on the role of group income protection (GIP) products in reducing ill-health related job loss as part of our Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper, which recognised the potential of GIP policies to support employers to retain disabled employees and employees with health conditions.
In Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, the Government signalled its desire for the insurance industry to develop a product that retains the positive aspects of GIP but which overcomes existing challenges around complexity and employer perceptions of cost and benefit to support greater take-up, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the UKVI investigations into asylum fraud since 2009 have resulted in criminal prosecutions.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
Since 2014, when records were centralised, Immigration Enforcement has undertaken 6 criminal prosecutions into asylum fraud.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the UKVI-led prosecutions for immigration fraud since 2009 have resulted in convictions.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
Since 2014, when records were centralised, Immigration Enforcement has secured 3 convictions into asylum fraud.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people the National Allegations Team of UK Visas and Immigration has employed in each year since 2009.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
Allegations of immigration abuse submitted by the public to the Home Office are received and managed by Immigration Enforcement.
Data on the number of staff employed to perform this task is available form 2016 when bespoke receipt and evaluation teams were introduced.
In the years since 2016 they have employed the following personnel to perform that task.
2016 – 57, 2017 – 63, 2018 – 59 and 2019 – 61.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints her Department has received on immigration fraud in each year since 2009.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
Information on the number of reports of immigration abuse received by the Home Office is published in our transparency data at: www.gov.uk/government/collection/migration-transparency-data.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints on immigration fraud UK Visas and Immigration has investigated since 2009.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
All allegations of immigration abuse submitted by the public to the Home Office are carefully considered and are subjected to investigation. Cost restrictions prevent a detailed breakdown of specifically what action has been taken.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on the consideration that local planning authorities should give to the position of general aviation aerodromes in a network when determining planning applications to remove such aerodromes from use.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The revised draft National Planning Policy Framework recognises the significant contribution that aviation makes to economic growth and the importance of maintaining a national network of general aviation facilities. It requires local authorities, when preparing their Local Plans, to take account of the role of airfields in meeting business, leisure, training and emergency service needs. It also highlights the importance of making the most effective use of land, especially previously developed land, and the general value of mixed-use scheme. The revised National Planning Policy Framework will be published this Summer.
Planning guidance supporting the Framework makes clear local authorities should consider the interconnectivity between airfields of different sizes and that they should have regard to the Aviation Policy Framework.
Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The weight to be given to other material considerations, which may include the role of airfields in serving business and other needs, is a matter for the decision maker to determine in each case.