Written question asked by Christian Matheson (Labour) on Tuesday, 1 October 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 October 2019. It was answered by Jesse Norman (Conservative) on Tuesday, 8 October 2019 on behalf of the Treasury.

Off-payroll Working

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the roll-out of the off-payroll rules on levels of UK contracting roles.

Answer: The off-payroll working rules have been in place since 2000. Reforms to how the off-payroll rules are administered in the public sector have been in place since 6 April 2017. Independent research into the reforms in the public sector showed there was no clear evidence of a reduction in the number of contractor roles, relative to public sector bodies’ overall workforce. Most public sector bodies did not experience any change in their ability to fill vacancies, following the reforms.

Secondary information