Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that companies which may have engaged people wrongly claiming to be self-employed as a means of national insurance and income tax avoidance are investigated by HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

Legislation was introduced in this year’s Finance Act to tackle the growing problem of agency workers being falsely classed as self-employed by the use of intermediary companies. HM Revenue & Customs undertakes risk-based investigations of businesses believed to be avoiding the payment of National Insurance and income tax by classifying their workers falsely as self-employed.