§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recruitment or contracting companies have been required to administer statutory sick pay to workers they contract to other companies since 1998; and what has been the consequent average additional annual (i) premiums for professional indemnity, public liability and employee's liability insurance and (ii) time which a company has had to spend administering the new rules. [77807]
§ Mr. BayleyThe legislation governing the payment of Statutory Sick Pay to employees engaged on short-term contracts has remained unchanged since 1982. Those provisions were clarified in a Court of Appeal judgment in October 1996 and further guidance to reflect that judgment was issued to employment agencies in 1998. Information on the effect, if any, on insurance premiums and the amount of time on which a company has to spend administering the scheme is not available.