HANSARD
National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill
- Report (Continued)
- 8:30 pm
- Amendment 11 not moved.
- Amendment 12
- 12: Clause 2, page 1, line 12, after “£96” insert “or, (b) for a person providing transport for children with special educational needs or disabilities, £175.”Member’s explanatory statement Exemption for SEND Transport: This amendment would exempt employers providing transport for children with special educational needs or disabilities from the Government’s planned changes to the weekly threshold.
- Amendment 12 agreed.
- Amendment 13 not moved.
- Amendment 14
- 14: Clause 2, page 1, line 12, after “£96” insert “or, (b) for a charity that has an annual revenue of less than £1 million, £175.”Member’s explanatory statement Exemption for small charities: This amendment would exempt charities that have an annual revenue of less than £1 million from the Government’s planned changes to the weekly threshold.
- Amendment 14 agreed.
- Amendment 15 not moved.
- Amendment 15A
- 15A: Clause 2, page 1, line 12, after “£96” insert “or, (b) for businesses and organisations with fewer than 25 full-time employees, £175.”Member’s explanatory statement This amendment is linked to others in the name of Lord Londesborough. It seeks to maintain the secondary threshold at which employers become liable to pay national insurance contributions on employees’ earnings at £175 for businesses and organisations employing fewer than 25 staff.
- I will not make another speech, but I thank all noble Lords for their thoughtful and supportive contributions when we debated this amendment. I welcomed the challenges, particularly from the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, who is not in his place, which I listened to with great respect. However, I disagree with his analysis. The cliff edge threshold is there in the Bill for all to see, and Clause 2 has moved it in the wrong direction, to the detriment of small businesses, economic growth and jobs.I thank the Minister for his patient and construction interactions, but I wish to test the opinion of the House. I beg to move.