Extract from Business Questions - March 9

Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op): May we have an urgent debate in Government time about the prospects of the 4.6 million people who are now self-employed and about those working in the Gig economy? As we know, they have poor access to benefits, and they bounce along on very low incomes indeed.

Mr Lidington: All self-employed people who earn less than £16,250 will see a cut in their total national insurance contributions after the announcements made by the Chancellor yesterday. I would have thought that the hon. Lady would also welcome the fact that the new state pension will, for the first time, give self-employed people the right to accrue state pension rights that were denied to them previously.