Finance Bill

May I respond to the hon. Lady’s principal point? If I do not answer it, of course I will give way. The hon. Lady was particularly concerned about freelancers. It is only freelancers operating through MSCs who are affected by the changes. Freelancers who are engaged directly by an agency, who are in business on their own account and run their own personal service company, or who are in other business structures such as umbrella companies, are not affected. That is because, in the vast majority of cases, MSCs are used to disguise employment, and the existing rules that ensure employed levels of tax and national insurance contributions are not applied. The measure in the Bill therefore ensures that workers in MSCs pay the same tax and national insurance as other employees, thus providing a more level playing field for businesses and workers who comply with the rules. Freelance workers can still work flexibly. In fact, many employment agencies and their representative body—the Recruitment and Employment Confederation —support the measures in the Bill.