HC Deb 16 October 2002 vol 390 cc901-3W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rules are regarding obtaining work without the possession of a national insurance number. [72126]

Malcolm Wicks

I have been asked to reply. Employers can offer employment to a person who has not yet registered for National Insurance purposes. A

person without a National Insurance number is not precluded from starting work and then obtaining a National Insurance number later.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers were prosecuted for employing people without national insurance numbers in(a) 1998, (b) 1999, (c) 2000 and (d) 2001; and what penalties were imposed. [72125]

Malcolm Wicks

I have been asked to reply. There is no requirement in law to have a National Insurance number before starting work. Therefore no employers have been prosecuted for employing people without National Insurance numbers.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many National Insurance number applicants have waited four months or more for an interview in each of the last 24 months; and what has been the average time between a person's original application for a number and a number being issued in each year since 1992. [74708]

Malcolm Wicks

I have been asked to reply. The information is not available in the format requested.

Earlier this year, applicants were experiencing delays in some parts of the country for up to 6 months. That figure has reduced considerably, and indications are that no one currently has to wait more than 4 weeks for an initial National Insurance number allocation interview.

FTE Count June 01 July 01 Aug 01 Sept 01 Oct 01 Nov 01 Dec 01 Jan 02 Feb 02 Mar 02 Total
Casual
Administrative 41.89 50.57 -26.19 -53.25 -0.84 6.70 -2.93 4.89 1.48 3.73 26.04
Executive -1.00 -1.00 0.00 -1.59 0.00 -1.00 0.00 0.67 -0.61 1.00 -3.54
Total change +/- 40.89 49.57 -26.19 -54.85 -0.84 5.70 -2.93 5.56 0.87 4.73 22.50
Permanent
Administrative 59.85 78.97 45.16 25.10 38.88 27.26 10.03 24.43 16.77 -11.78 314.67
Executive 4.00 1.39 6.14 10.55 25.99 15.66 -.53 0.92 -2.06 -15.60 45.47
Total change +/- 63.85 80.37 51.30 35.66 64.88 42.92 8.50 25.35 14.71 -27.38 360.14