Latest Political Engagement

Our Global Public Policy Director Tania Bowers and General Counsel Shazia Imtiaz have regular engagement with government departments, members of parliament and other stakeholders: 

• HMRC’s Employment and Intermediaries Forum (formerly IR35 Forum) – APSCo was a founding member and is represented by Shazia Imtiaz 

• Regular meetings with Department for Business and Trade including Senior Policy Advisors in labour markets and international trade, Ben Bruton, Head of Employment Agency Standards and EAS team and Director of Labour Market Enforcement  

• DSIT, HMRC, HMT, DfE, DHSC, Home Office, Cabinet Office – regular meetings with policy leads 

Policy Recommendations & Documents

2024

October

• Meeting with Lord Newby, Liberal Democrat Peer

September

• Submission to HL Inquiry of Skills for the Future 
• Roundtable with Liberal Democrat peers/MP re future of work
• APSCo Global - Autumn Budget 2024 
• Letter to Jonathan Reynolds MP from APSCo, ALP, REC and TEAM
• DBT official roundtable on Employment Rights Bill (series)
• Various engagements with DBT, HMRC and CBI
• TUC conference attendance
• Liberal Democrat conference attendance
• Liberal Democrat roundtable on Labour’s new deal/Employment Rights Bill
• Launch of APSCo’s campaign Unshackle Investment in Skills through the Growth and Skills Levy

August

• Meeting with Director of Labour Market Enforcement Margaret Beels and her team
• Meeting with E Midlands Mayoral Authority skills lead and Business Board lead

July

• Letters of congratulation sent to new Ministers

April

• General Election Briefing

March

• Briefing: Resignation of Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf by Cavendish Consulting 
• APSCo Manifesto 2024: Tackling the Professional Skills Crisis 
• Response to ICO Consultation on new draft guidance on recruitment and employment
• Welsh Government Cabinet Summary 

February

• Response to Consultation on Off-Payroll working (IR35) - Calculation of PAYE Liability in Cases of Non-Compliance 

In our submission to the draft technical consultation on the Off-Payroll PAYE off-set regulations, we raised some technical issues of concern around how the regulations will operate such as the process to calculating the PAYE recovery is a best estimate, without sufficient transparency and there is no right of appeal for recruiters in the regulations.  We also took the opportunity to remind HMRC of the fundamental unfairness of off payroll to our members plus pushing them for better guidance all round and specifically a tool for assessing contracted out services for use by the private sector.  Off-Payroll (IR35) remains one of the top concerns we address to the government.

• Response to Consultation on DfE on draft agency rules statutory guidance for use workers in children and family social work.
• Department for Education - Advanced British Standard Consultation
• EU AI Act - Dentons Global Advisors

• AI in Recruitment: Assurance Survey 

January

• Spring Budget Submission
• The Draft Directive of the European Parliament on Improving working conditions in platform work: An APSCo Global positioning paper

Government Consultations, Policy Documents and Calls for Evidence 

An important part of our public policy work is collating and submitting member responses to government consultations on proposed legal changes and calls for evidence. Our recommendations can be adopted by the government and form part of policy and new legislation. 

We collate member input via our representative groups, internal member policy meetings, roundtables with politicians and policy advisors and panel sessions at our member events. 

2024

March

• Meeting with Nigel Huddleston MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury regarding umbrella company regulations.