Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse through (a) third party spend and (b) contracts as a result of changes to employers National Insurance Contributions in each of the next five years; and if she will publish any modelling undertaken on this.

The Chancellor made an announcement at the Autumn Budget setting out that the rate of Employer National Insurance Contributions will increase from 13.8% to 15% from 6 April 2025. Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why the Government is asking employers to contribute more. At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor also agreed departmental spending allocations for 2024-25 and 2025-26. It is the responsibility of contracting authorities to prioritise these budgets effectively and make assessments on the costs of procurement.