Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to tackle the use of self-employed people as agency workers by businesses.

A self-employed individual decides how they undertake work. This could include identifying a suitable role via an agency and it is for the work-seeker and agency to agree the type of contract that they will be engaged under.

Individuals seeking work through an agency, regardless of circumstances outside of the agency relationship, are protected by the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulation 2003 and the Agency Worker Regulations 2010.

The Taylor review on modern employment practices is considering the impact of non-standard working arrangements on employment status and employment rights.