PCG rebuts Primarolo claim that it has been silent for 12 months
The Professional Contractors Group has written to Dawn Primarolo, the Paymaster General, in response to her claims that the Group has been 'silent' for the last 12 months. The letter read as follows...
Dear Paymaster General,
On 3rd July at column 343 Hansard reports you as saying:-
"the Professional Contractors Group, the lobby and professional group which has worked with Government for the past few years - has been totally silent on this issue". You were, of course, replying to an amendment put by the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, John Bercow MP, in which he called for special provision to be made over the training costs of those caught by IR35.
You went on to say "In fact it has been totally silent on every issue over the past 12 months".
In making that last statement you were either poorly briefed, or chose to ignore the facts.
Following judgement in our Judicial Review, we followed the advice of Mr Justice Burton QC, and sought early meetings with the Inland Revenue. There have been a number of such meetings and I find it surprising that as the Minister responsible, you have received no brief following those meetings.
In October, last year, PCG attended your Party's conference in Brighton and spoke to many Secretaries of State, Ministers and Members of Parliament. We even held a well attended fringe meeting, at which your colleague Tony McWalter MP was a speaker.
PCG is in regular contact with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Small Business through your colleague Kerry Pollard MP.
We have a seat on the Skill Sector Panel reviewing the so-called Fast Track Visa Scheme. Indeed it was our organisation that was amongst the first to identify potential problems with the scheme.
Our organisation has attended a number of meetings with the Department of Trade and Industry and my representatives have met with the Minister of State, Alan Johnson MP, over the Agency Regulations.
PCG, by invitation, submitted an expert paper on Micro-Technology to the House of Lords.
PCG attended the E-Skills summit in Greenwich and have attended separate meetings with, the then, E-Minister Douglas Alexander MP. We are waiting for an appointment with Stephen Timms MP, the new Minister and a former colleague of yours at the Treasury.
On 10th April this year, you yourself, replied to our Budget Submissions "as the Minister responsible".
There have been many other meetings but I will not expand further, for I am sure that having read this letter you will wish to correct the record. I do not believe that you would deliberately mislead the House of Commons.
Yours faithfully
Jane Akshar
Chairman