Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of self-employed people to achieving the objectives set out in his Department's document, Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, published in July 2015.

Self-employment makes a vital contribution to the economy, with over 4.5 million people currently self-employed, accounting for 14.5% of total employment.

The government wants to raise productivity across all sectors and believes that self-employment can make an important contribution to achieving the objectives set out in Fixing the foundations.

The government has asked Julie Deane OBE to carry out an independent review, reporting in early 2016, of the contribution the self-employed make to the UK economy and consider how they can be better supported.