National Insurance Contributions (Rate Ceilings) Bill (First sitting)

Andy McDonald Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2015 Public Bill Committees

[Lucy Frazer]

Q 29 The Government have committed to simplifying the tax system. Mr Whiting confirmed that this measure will do that, and that it will bring certainty and stability through lack of change. Do you think that the change will have an impact on any other tax measures?

Mr Gauke: Of course, in the Finance Bill, we also brought in the tax lock in respect of income tax rates and VAT. I hope that that provides a degree of certainty and stability to taxpayers. In particular, in the context of employers’ NICs, the Bill provides an important degree of certainty for employers that they will not be hit by an increase in the rate of the jobs tax, if I may use that term. I hope that that provides certainty and stability. Of course, we are taking other measures as a Government, and we intend to publish a business tax road map by April next year setting out our plans over the course of this Parliament. It is all about creating an environment in which businesses can grow and invest, knowing that they have a Government who want a tax system that is supportive of them.

[Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough) (Lab)]

Q 30 Rather than simplifying the tax system, this effectively does a big fat nothing. It keeps things exactly as they are. Have you made any assessment of how much the process has cost?

Mr Gauke: First, what you might describe as a big fat nothing— keeping things as they are—can, as Mr Whiting said, at times be something that businesses welcome in terms of providing greater certainty. Also, as you heard, the Office of Tax Simplification is looking at the relationship between income tax and national insurance contributions to see if there is scope for simplification in that area. I think that the costs of the process would be negligible, but it is nevertheless of value to have legislation that underlines the Government’s commitment regarding tax rates.

[Andy McDonald]

Q 31 Is keeping things as they are, not making any changes and putting Parliament through this, really a wise use of parliamentary time?

Mr Gauke: Yes, I think it is. I think it is a justifiable use of parliamentary time to underline the commitment that my party made at the general election to not increase the rates. The fact that we have legislation to that effect underlines that commitment, and I hope that, at the end of the day, Mr McDonald, you do not feel that you have had a futile day.

[Huw Merriman]

Q 32 To turn the question from the hon. Member for Middlesbrough on its head, does the Treasury keep estimates of how the stability that this gives business will benefit the economy?

Mr Gauke: It is difficult necessarily to measure that. It is difficult to take the things in isolation. Overall, if you look at what we have done, as both a coalition Government and a Conservative majority Government, in terms of, for example, reducing our rate of corporation tax, addressing the worst effects of the jobs tax, which we inherited in 2010, some of the measures we have taken regarding capping business rates, and so on—over a period of five and a half years or so—we have taken a large number of measures to help businesses and to ensure that we have a thriving private sector, creating the jobs and tax receipts that we need to fund the NHS and so on.