Self-employed (National Insurance)

HC Deb 05 March 1987 vol 111 cc676-7W

Ms. Clare Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many individuals have paid self-employed national insurance contributions in each year since 1979.

Mr. Major

The information is as follows:

Persons paying Class 2 (self-employed) National Insurance Contributions, United Kingdom
Year	(thousands)
1979–80	1,608
1980–81	1,661
1981–82	1,697
1982–83	1,766
1983–84	1,845
Notes:
1. Final figures are not available for later years. The Government Actuary has estimated that currently about 2 million people in the United Kingdom are paying self-employed national insurance contributions.
2. Self-employed people with profits above the lower profits limit are liable to pay class 4 contributions in addition to class 2. Precise information on the numbers involved is not available but it is estimated that between 1¼ and 1½ million people are currently liable to pay class 4 contributions.