Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the increase in (a) direct and (b) indirect costs to his Department of the 1.2% rise in employer national insurance contributions announced in the budget.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The changes to employer national insurance contributions from April are expected to increase Departmental costs c.£216million in financial year 2025-26.

The Chancellor has agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support with the cost of employer national insurance contributions, which will be confirmed at a future date.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate he has made of the increased cost to the NHS (a) directly and (b) indirectly of the increase in employer national insurance contributions.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have taken tough decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget, this enabled the SR settlement of £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department of Health and Social Care from 2023-24 outturn to 2025-26.

The Employer National Insurance rise will be implemented April 2025, the Department of health and Social Care will set out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course.

The purpose of this short inquiry is to hear from representatives of those affected by the Department's review of post-16 qualification reforms; to influence the Department's review before it concludes by the end of the year; to establish the full extent of the Department's plans for level 3 qualifications reform; and to provide clarity to schools, colleges, and students who face uncertainty about which courses will be available to them in the coming years.