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In Parliament - Self Employment Bill

16 January 2002
Issue: 3840 / Categories:

Leave to introduce a Right to Self Employment Bill has been requested by Mark Prisk MP. He says that despite the rising numbers of self employed individuals, they continued to be 'discriminated against whether it is by high street banks unfairly refusing mortgages or by the state handing out inferior benefits'. Furthermore, it was becoming increasingly difficult for individuals to prove that they are self employed because the relevant regulations 'are based not on consistently applied criteria but on ever-changing case law'.

Leave to introduce a Right to Self Employment Bill has been requested by Mark Prisk MP. He says that despite the rising numbers of self employed individuals, they continued to be 'discriminated against whether it is by high street banks unfairly refusing mortgages or by the state handing out inferior benefits'. Furthermore, it was becoming increasingly difficult for individuals to prove that they are self employed because the relevant regulations 'are based not on consistently applied criteria but on ever-changing case law'.

The proposed Bill would create a right to become self employed, and switch the burden of proof from the individual to the state. Individuals who considered themselves to be self employed, would have to register as such, and Government agencies would be entitled to challenge that registration for a given period, say up to six months.

Concluding his proposal, Mr Prisk said that the Bill would be 'a vital first step in overhauling how we treat the self employed'.

The House agreed, and the Bill was read for the first time.

(Source: Hansard, 9 January 2002, Vol 377, No 76, col 546-548.)

Issue: 3840 / Categories:
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