News Release

9th January 2002

FABRICANT SPONSORS SELF-EMPLOYED BILL

Michael Fabricant today (9th January) sponsored a Bill in the House of Commons to assist the self-employed in their dealings with the Inland Revenue. At present individuals must prove, and re-prove, their self-employment, but as the Inland Revenue relies on changing case law to define self employment this causes many difficulties for our self employed constituents. Not least the burden of proof rests with them, and not the Revenue.

"This is wrong" says Michael Fabricant. "It is the self-employed in the West Midlands who are the seed corn of the large employers of tomorrow. When the Government introduced their infamous 'IR 35' which forced the self-employed to become employees, many of my constituents working in Information Technology in Lichfield were either driven out of business or driven abroad.

"This new Bill would remove this reliance on evolving case law, by introducing a self employed register. The registration could be challenged for up to 6 months, but the burden of proof would fall on the Government, not the individual. The benefits would include: providing everyone with the right to choose their own working status, whilst emphasising their responsibilities; providing much greater certainty for the self employed; and gets the Government off small businesses' backs."

The Bill received its First Reading this afternoon and will be considered again in April.