Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Margot James and Jess Phillips

Tuesday 14th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Jess Phillips (Birmingham, Yardley) (Lab)]

10. What assessment he has made of recent trends in the number of people employed in the gig economy.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Margot James)]

With no common definition of the “gig economy”, numbers vary in terms of how many workers are involved in it. We have commissioned new research, to be published this summer, which will look at the number of individuals working through digital platforms in the UK and at their experiences.

[Jess Phillips]

The number of freelancing moms has increased by 79% since 2008. Although I welcome the Government’s announcement that they will consult further in the summer on fairer maternity pay for self-employed moms, this was recommended 13 months ago. Why has it taken the Government so long to act on this crucial issue for these women when it took a stroke of a pen to increase their taxes?

[Margot James]

As I said in my previous answer on national insurance, the increase in taxes, which itself is under review, will be ruling out—[Hon. Members: “Ah!”] In terms of the maternity and paternity issues raised by the hon. Lady, I should hasten to add, the consultation will run its course this summer and she will have an answer before the end of the year.