National Insurance Contributions (Hansard, 9 May 2002)

§ 12. Mr. Clappison
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about the burden of national insurance contributions on business. [53554]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
In the run up to the Budget statement the Government received a number of representations from business organisations.

§ 20. Mr. Steen
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what cost compliance estimate was made of the effects on business of changes in national insurance contributions announced in the Budget. [53562]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the Inland Revenue's Regulatory Impact Assessment for the National Insurance Contributions Bill. A copy was placed in the Library on 1 May.

§ 24. Mr. Baron
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Federation of Small Businesses regarding the increase in employers' national insurance contributions announced in the 2002 Budget. [53566]

§ Dawn Primarolo
Ministers and civil servants have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis. As with previous Administrations it is not this Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists.

§ 27. Mr. Peter Duncan
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cash-flow implications to businesses of the increase in employers' national insurance contributions announced in the 2002 Budget. [53569]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
Most businesses in the UK are small, and the average small business employs around five employees. For a typical employer of this size, the increase in employers' NICs is around £835 a year.

§ 34. Matthew Green
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact of the proposed change in employers' national insurance contributions on manufacturing company profitability for financial year 2003–04. [53576]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
It is estimated that the changes to employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will increase pay costs on average across the economy by 0.7 per cent. next year. Employers will benefit from the impact of the investment in the health service on the health of their employees.

§ 38. Mr. John Taylor
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the cost to the public sector of the change in employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget in 2003–04. [53580]
338W

§ 39. Mr. Hendry
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the cost to the public sector of the change in employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget in 2003–04. [53581]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
The cost to the public services will be just over £1 billion which compares with a planned rise in spending on public services of nearly £20 billion. The changes will help to fund improvements to public services and a real terms increase in spending on health over the next five years of over 40 per cent.