Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) employment rights and (b) income security of self-employed workers in the healthcare sector.

The Government is committed to strengthening protections for the self-employed, benefitting those in healthcare, including a new right to a written contract, and extension of health and safety and blacklisting protections. The parental leave and pay review will consider whether support meets the needs of self-employed parents. The Non-Disclosure Agreements measure in the Employment Rights Bill includes a power to apply the measure beyond the standard definitions of employee and worker.

We will also take forward the most significant legislative reforms to tackle late payments in over 25 years, helping ensure that the self-employed are paid on time.