National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill

Is the Minister seriously suggesting that, with the best brains in the Treasury on hand, he does ...

We recognise that we are asking businesses to contribute more, and that this will have impacts, b...

I apologise for intervening so early in the debate, but a number of my small businesses, charitie...

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I will get to the detail of the Bill in a moment, but I ...

Does the hon. Gentleman not accept that in the UK, the definition of a small business is one that...

We know that the tough decision that we have had to take will have impacts—we have been up front ...

It is clear that the Government are working hard to get this right, but may I press the Minister ...

I thank my hon. Friend for her question, but eligibility for the employment allowance is not chan...

Will the Minister give way?

I will, one more time, and then I will make progress.

Is not the fact of the matter, despite what the Chancellor has said, that businesses have been ab...

I am sorry, but there are tough decisions that we have to take, and there are difficult decisions...

I will make some progress, and take more interventions shortly. For me, keeping the promises on i...

Is the Minister aware of the complete disaster this will cause for Scottish hospitality businesse...

I recognise that the decision we are taking will have impacts, and in some cases it will mean tha...

The Minister talks about protecting businesses or charities, but hospices, for example, employ ma...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. That will depend on the exact set-up of the hospice,...

rose—

rose—

Members will have to wait a second so that I can answer this question.

We will maintain the...

Many of us in this House appreciate the work that my hon. Friend’s team are doing to unpick the m...

We recognise that tough decisions had to be taken throughout this Budget, but that is exactly why...

How does it help morale and positivity among small businesses, which will be vital to economic gr...

The hon. Member focuses on the national insurance contributions changes, which is rightly the foc...

Does the Minister agree that many people who want to work have struggled to do so because of poor...

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention, and he is right. He points out why we are taking the...

I will make a bit of progress; I have been generous in giving way.

The choice that we have ...

rose—

I will give way; I am being too generous I think.

The manifesto said that Labour would not increase rates of national insurance contributions. The ...

In fact, it is both things: it is true that we have kept to our manifesto pledge of protecting wo...

I believe the Minister is misleading the House—[Interruption.] Inadvertently. The OBR did not say...

I said that the OBR said that its forecast would have been “materially different” had it known wh...

rose—

No, I will not give way again. It might be illuminating for him to read the OBR forecast and unde...

I will make some progress as I want to explain why we are taking this tough decision, and why it ...

Will the Minister give way?

I will make some progress.

We know how crucial economic stability is for businesses taking ...

The hon. Gentleman refers to the NHS, and I believe the NHS and hospital trusts will receive an e...

The way that we are approaching the reimbursement of employer national insurance costs for Depart...

Let me pick up on the point about local authorities and public services. I pressed the Minister o...

We are protecting public services by providing relief directly to Departments and other public se...

On the £22.6 billion for the NHS, or the figure just mentioned for local government, have the Min...

In the statistics put out by the Government at the time of the Budget, a specific amount is earma...

I thank the Minister for giving way again. What about GP surgeries?

GP funding for 2025-26 will be confirmed by the Department for Health and Social Care in the usua...

I beg to move,

That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the National Insurance ...

The shadow Minister is an astute man, and he has picked up on some of the indices of concern. One...

Obviously it would be useful to have people with business experience in the Cabinet, if they are ...

The hon. Gentleman appears keen on polling. Can he talk us through the polling for Liz Truss and ...

To be fair, my former colleague did not last quite as long as the lettuce, and the public made th...

You’re the shadow Minister.

I am terribly sorry—the Minister. He shakes his head and says that it is not true. Let me turn to...

It is a little wearisome to listen to the Opposition talk about taxes on working people. We have ...

The hon. Gentleman talks about the Conservative record. Shall I talk to him about our record on n...

rose—

I will make a bit more progress and then give way to my right hon. Friend.

If the Minister ...

The hon. Gentleman refers to the history of the Tory party on national insurance. Can he tell us ...

That is a very odd question when the Minister himself has said that the objective today is to pro...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will be very happy to give way, but I will make some progress first.

If we take the Gover...

Is it not the biggest slap in the face for people listening to this that when Labour uses “workin...

I have been listening to questions from Members who believe that this is “not a tax on working pe...

I think sometimes, listening to the Opposition, it is as if that money goes into a complete black...

The hon. Gentleman asks, “What’s not to like?”, but just a few minutes ago he was saying what he ...

I would just like the hon. Gentleman to apologise for the fact that all the things he has just ou...

Since the hon. Lady is reviewing history, she should look at the Bank of England review by Bernan...

Will the hon. Member give way?

No, I am drawing my speech to a close, because plenty of people wish to speak.

UKHospitalit...

For too long, this country has suffered from irresponsible and short-sighted fiscal management fr...

Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that the impact of this measure is hitting the most vulnerable ...

The Bill, and the Budget, protect the smallest businesses, as the Minister has already explained....

Will the hon. Member reassure the GPs in my constituency, in Harston, Comberton, the Eversdens, M...

I am not sure that it is for me to give reassurances—it is probably for Ministers to do that—but ...

Part of the biggest problem that I have with the way this is being done, looking at the NHS as a ...

Both the back door and the front door of the NHS have been broken over the last 14 years, so we w...

My constituency has a higher proportion of business owners, entrepreneurs, and high-growth enterp...

I take it that the hon. Lady must oppose the large investment in public services that the Governm...

The hon. Gentleman keeps accusing those of us on the Liberal Democrat Benches of not supporting p...

As I have already said, we are protecting small businesses through this Bill and we have an indus...

Order. Members will be able to see that a significant number of people wish to contribute to this...

This Saturday is Small Business Saturday. It is an opportunity for every single one of us to cele...

We have heard a number of times from the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, and even from the Exc...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that GP services, dentists and hospices are having to make decisi...

The hon. Lady is making a powerful speech. Someone coming back from a mental health crisis who ma...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that point. Many people work part time, for all sorts of rea...

The hon. Lady has cited the IFS, which said of the Liberal Democrat manifesto that

“there a...

The fact remains that the IFS said that our proposals for capital gains tax, which would raise £5...

It is a pleasure to be called to speak in this incredibly important debate. On 30 October, the Ch...

In the spirit of hoping for growth, the hon. Gentleman will be interested to know that I sent a s...

I politely suggest that the right hon. Gentleman should not set up a polling company, as that is ...

The hon. Gentleman keeps talking about the largest businesses, but the Government are completely ...

Not only are we protecting the smallest businesses by raising the employment allowance, but there...

Does the hon. Gentleman understand how frustrating it is for Liberal Democrat Members to be told ...

It is the responsible decision to invest in this country’s foundation, so that we get the doctors...

I share the hon. Gentleman’s aspiration for getting more funding into the NHS. On Friday, in the ...

The Government will set out exactly what the health and care budgets will be before next April, a...

Opposition parties have spent an awful lot of time attacking various measures in the Budget. Does...

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. If Opposition parties wish to criticise the tax rise on the...

I assure Members that we have now resolved the problem with the clock and that there is a six-min...

It is a pleasure to speak so high up on the list and to follow the hon. Member for Loughborough (...

Under the last Conservative Government, 10 pubs closed every single week. Before the hon. Member ...

I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I am pretty sure the Chancellor has just said, “Hol...

The hon. Member is talking about small businesses. Last week, I was proud to host the Federation ...

I am pretty sure that the Federation of Small Businesses has not welcomed the national insurance ...

My hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary rightly said that this Bill was about tough decisions. The...

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would never dare to tread on your toes, but perhaps ...

The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that that was not really a point of order. I am sure the h...

I am, indeed, coming to exactly that point, because this is set in the context of what the Tories...

Is the hon. Member aware that the Royal College of General Practitioners said that it will cost 2...

The Heath Secretary said that he will address that in due course, and I am sure that he will befo...

Will the hon. Member give way on that point?

If he would like to explain why he voted for it, yes.

Absolutely. Does the hon. Member realise that we had to deal with that because the amount that we...

In the process, you left us with a massive structural deficit.

Order. That is the second time the hon. Gentleman has done it: I have left nothing.

Forgive me, Madam Deputy Speaker. Labour is the party taking tough decisions today and refusing t...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Rochdale (Paul Waugh). I rise to relay some of the...

The hon. Gentleman may have noticed that the OBR had to amend the numbers that it produced after ...

I very much agree. I hope that the Minister will return to that in her summing up.

I labour...

Is the hon. Member about to come on to the part where he welcomes the largest real-terms settleme...

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention—we have been blessed with many of h...

The decision we are taking today to raise employer’s national insurance contributions is a diffic...

I know that difficult decisions have had to be made, but I have been talking to small business ow...

Order. If the hon. Lady wishes to speak later in the debate, she is very welcome to do so, but in...

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. I agree that if we are to revive the high street, we ...

The Government have repeatedly claimed that this is a tax on businesses, not a tax on working peo...

The Budget delivered in this House a few weeks ago was a Budget for growth, investment and public...

The cost to the economy is over £25 billion, but the net cost, having adjusted for behavioural ch...

I do not regret the vehicle we have chosen. I have faith in the figures in the Red Book. Interest...

It is right to say that politics is far more complicated than soundbites. The previous Government...

I thank my hon. Friend for making that point. It is always worth reminding Members of all shades ...

The Government will receive £10 billion from this intervention in the tax regime. How many times ...

I thank the hon. Member for his point. This is what is known as a balanced Budget, and we on this...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

No, I have been more than generous in taking interventions so far.

It is amazing to see the...

It is the job of any Government to grow the economy and grow jobs. The best way of delivering mon...

I have just calculated how to get everybody in before we run out of time, and I will have to drop...

It is clear to everyone on this side of the House that the measures in the Bill are a vital step ...

On that point, will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will not, as I want to ensure everybody gets in.

In addition, we are committed to protect...

I serve on the Education Committee with the hon. Gentleman, and I wonder what he will say to peop...

In the minute remaining to me, I gently say to the hon. Gentleman that he needs to have a word wi...

Since the changes to national insurance were announced in the Budget, I have been contacted by co...

As a new Member of Parliament, I was looking at the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for North Be...

As this is such an important topic, why are there fewer than half a dozen Back-Bench Government M...

I have literally just said that this debate should not be about party politics, but about the scr...

We are the Opposition. You are the Government.

We are the Government taking decisions in the national interest. The Conservatives are the Opposi...

We have a mission-led Government. I am not sure whether anybody knows exactly what that means, bu...

Not more than half an hour ago, I met a businessman from Northern Ireland whose firm employs 1,20...

The hon. Gentleman is quite right. This is not some trivial increase that is easy for an organisa...

It is good to speak in this important debate. This is an issue of much importance, in part becaus...

Does the hon. Member not think that the fact the Labour party went into the last general election...

We have stuck to the commitments we made in our manifesto, and that is why the British people wil...

On productivity, all the public sector wage increases that have been given since the Government h...

I think we will see productivity increases in the NHS, because part of the reason that it has str...

When the Conservative Government headed by David Cameron were elected in 2010, the circumstances ...

The economy was not growing at a fast pace when we took over; we were growing slower than five ot...

rose—

I will give way.

Order. The hon. Gentleman has already taken two interventions, and the clock will now continue to...

Maybe I will take further interventions when I speak in tomorrow’s debate, Madam Deputy Speaker, ...

The Bill represents a major breach of the promises made by the Government when they stood for ele...

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to share the concerns that my constituents a...

I start by reminding the House of a prescient analogy of Winston Churchill’s:

“For a nation...

On Saturday evening, I was lucky to attend Sussex Chorus’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at S...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I would like to make progress. Around 18,000 private social care providers operate in the UK. We ...

Government Members have talked about difficult choices. Not taking away the winter fuel payment f...

We have two remaining Back-Bench contributions. Colleagues who have contributed to the debate sho...

I rise to share my concerns about the unintended consequences of this tax hike on small businesse...

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. I have previously raise...

I call the shadow Minister.

6.18 pm

It is a great pleasure to wind up the debate on behalf of the official Opposition. I pay tribute ...

On the Government’s tax policy, does my hon. Friend think it is concerning that the Chancellor to...

Absolutely. We all heard what the Chancellor said at the Confederation of British Industry confer...

Is the hon. Gentleman concerned, as many of my colleagues are, that the Government will not give ...

There is really nothing to add to that. The hon. Gentleman made that point in his speech and at T...

A £200 million black hole in the Scottish Government’s core finances, rising to £450 million when...

If the hon. Gentleman is patient and listens carefully to my speech, I will come on to the Scotti...

Can the Minister tell the House which decision was harder, giving an inflation-busting pay rise t...

The best decision that we have ever made in government is putting money back into the pockets of ...

I am grateful to the Minister for addressing my earlier questions. Rather than taking with one ha...

The Department of Health and Social Care will confirm funding for general practice for 2025-26 as...

Will the Minister give way?

With pleasure.

I stand by the comments that I made. [Interruption.] I do. I fundamentally believe that Liz Truss...

If you will forgive me, Madam Deputy Speaker, I feel that a lettuce would have better judgment.