§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will consider excluding employers from paying national insurance contributions for one year for each person employed following their completion of a youth training scheme course; and, if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will consider excluding all employers who employ 10 people or less from national insurance contributions for one year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyNo. We believe problems would arise when employers ceased to be eligible for such concessions for some or all of their employees. The Government have instead introduced more far-reaching measures to encourage employment generally by abolishing the national insurance surcharge last year, and among young and other lower-paid people in particularly by the system of graduated lower rates of contribution which we propose to introduce on 6 October.