Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answers of 4 and 11 November to Questions 11939 and 12740 on Ministry of Defence: Employers' Contributions, what estimate he has made of the indirect costs to his Department following the proposed increase in employer national insurance contributions on suppliers and contractors that support his Department.

As individual suppliers and contractors will manage the increase differently, it is not possible for the Department to estimate the indirect costs relating to the change in Employer National Insurance Contributions.