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

The Government believes that agency workers should have the right to guaranteed hours which reflect the hours they work. The Government’s intention is also that agency workers should receive payment for shifts that are cancelled or curtailed at short notice. The unique tripartite relationship between agency workers, employment agencies and hirers, makes the application of these measures to the recruitment sector particularly complex. The zero hours contract measures create new responsibilities for employers. For agency workers we need to decide whether these responsibilities sit with the employment agency, the end hirer, or both.

  • Meeting with Lord Newby, Liberal Democrat Peer

September

March

February

January

2023

November

August

  • Response to Consultation: Tackling non-compliance in the umbrella company market.
  • HMT, HMRC, Department for Business and Trade (DBT) member events on joint consultation on umbrella companies.
  • Submission to Labour party manifesto policy team on synergy between domestic skills and changes to points based immigration system
  • Submission to Lord Newby, Liberal Democrats peer responsible for manifesto policy development on APSCo 2023 campaign recommendations
  • Discussion with DBT lead policy advisor and Employment Agency Standards team on Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill

July

June

May

March

February 

2022

September

June

May

February

January

Government Consultations, Policy Documents and Calls for Evidence 

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

September

  • DBT official roundtable on Employment Rights Bill (series)

  • Various engagement 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 East Midlands Mayoral Authority skills lead and Business Board lead

July

  • Letters of congratulation sent to new Ministers

March

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

2023

November

  • Meeting with Liberal Democrat Christine Gardine MP – Edinburgh West

  • Ministerial Reshuffle 

  • Institute for the Future of Work AI Summit

  • Meeting with Liberal Democrat Peers Baroness Garden and Lord Addington

  • Meeting with Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Newby

  • Event with Matt Warman MP and Mark Pawsey MP

October

  • APSCo Global Autumn Statement Submission 
  • Meeting senior Home Office Policy Advisor Global Mobility visas
  • HMRC Member Roundtable: Contracting Out Guidance Off Payroll
  • DfE Intermediary Ambassador summit

July

June

Current Consultations:

May

Current Consultations:

April

March

February 

January

2022

December

  • Met Bill Esterson MP, Shadow BEIS Minister

  • Member and OutSource roundtable with Justin Madders MP, Shadow Minister for Employment Rights

  • Letter to the Director of Labour Market Enforcement updating her on the professional sector to feed into her 2023/24 Labour Market Strategy

  • Engagement with the Better Hiring Institute and other stakeholders on framework healthcare compliance issues

November

  • Advised Department for International Trade official on the challenges of the Swiss market for recruiters

  • Evidence given to BEIS Select Committee on the Labour Market on AI and automation in recruitment

  • Lord Bethell, a Minister for Health during the initial Covid 19 period, attended and spoke to the APSCo Clinical and Healthcare Sector Group.

October  

  • Reply from Home Office following our letter to new Secretary of State in response to our recommendations for visas for the highly skilled self- employed
  • International visa briefing sent to DIT Ministers and  officials following meetings on trade deals
  • Letter of reply received from Minister for Skills thanking us for our interest in new skills initiatives such as T levels and our recommendations on Apprenticeship Levy
  • Meeting with Stephen Flynn SNP MP 
  • Discussions with HMRC on off payroll following recent announcememts
  • Meeting with DIT Policy Advisors to speak on our proposals for visas for highly skilled self-employed contractors and information collated on international comparisons

September 

  • Submission to House of Lords Economic Committee in response to consultation “Where have all the workers gone?”

  • APSCo’s Key Policy Recommendations sent to the new Prime Minister and Ministers with briefs of relevance to the recruitment sector and labour market

  • Meeting with Policy Advisor to Mr McKee SNP Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise in Glasgow

  • Reply to APSCo from Minister for Health on framework charge caps

July

June

May

  • Meeting with Justin Madders MP Shadow Minister for Employment Rights and the Labour Market 
  • Meeting with Cabinet Office Market Analyst Team on UK Recruitment Sector
  • APSCo writes to the Chancellor and Department of Health and Social Care to raise concerns around the rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and introduction of the Health and Social Care Levy

March

February

January

2021

November

October

September

  • APSCo meets with Lord Knight of Weymouth to discuss reform of the Apprenticeship Levy and how that reform – and the recruitment sector – can help with addressing skills shortages

August

July

  • APSCo submits joint FOI request with the REC asking for disclosure of risk assessment undertaken by Home Office to come to decision to revert to face-to-face checks and statistics on UK passport fraud during COVID concession period
  • Tania Bowers meets with Senior Policy Advisors in Home Office to discuss Right to Work checks and switch to permanent digital system
  • Tania Bowers meets with Liz Barclay, new Small Business Commissioner, BEIS

June

May

  • HM Treasury responds to APSCo’s Policy Focus
  • APSCo responds to Government consultation on portable and flexible apprenticeships
  • Tania Bowers meets with Kemi Badenoch, Treasury Secretary & Minister for Equalities and her team to discuss Off Payroll, employment status, the Apprenticeship Levy and Diversity
  • Tania Bowers meets with Paul Scully, BEIS Minister for the Labour Market and Prompt Payment/Small Business to discuss Off-Payroll, changes to pending changes employment recruitment regulation, regulating umbrella companies and prompt payment
  • APSCo, the REC, some joint Enterprise members and the RL100 write again to Priti Patel urging her to reconsider the Right to Work check scheduled to revert to "physical face to face" on 17th May

April

March

February

January

2020

December

  • APSCo attends Single Enforcement Body roundtable hosted by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement
  • Submission to BEIS Small Business Commissioner on increasing the Commissioner’s powers and scope

November

  • APSCo hosts Kevin Hollinrake PPS to Michael Gove at virtual member meeting
  • APSCo writes to National Tutoring Programme on behalf of education sector members to raise concerns about the tender process
  • APSCo submits evidence to House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on the effect of Covid on the employment market

October

  • APSCo responds  to NASUWT about their ‘better deal for supply teachers’ 
  • APSCo writes to Gillian Keegan, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Apprenticeship & Skills with further proposals for broadening of Apprenticeship Levy
  • APSCo joint Brexit Statement with CBI
  • APSCo meets with Holly Lynch MP Shadow Immigration Minister
  • APSCo files submission to HMRC call for evidence on raising standards in tax advice
  • APSCo files submission to HMRC call for evidence on Disguised Remuneration Schemes
  • APSCo attends Roundtables with HMRC IR35 Forum on Disguised Remuneration, Finance Act and the impact on intermediaries and the umbrella supplier industry

September

  • APSCo meets with Business Secretary Alok Sharma MP, at BEIS round table on talent 
  • APSCo meets with Prime Minister's Office for Talent on bringing the brightest and best to Britain post Brexit

August

  • APSCo attends IR35 Forum Roundtable "Tax Advisors" Call for Evidence

July

  • APSCo submits evidence to the Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Select Committee on  Post Pandemic Economic Growth
  • Letter to Gillian Keegan, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Apprenticeships and Skills outlining our recommendations around how the use of the Apprenticeship levy could be broadened

June

  • Letter to Jesse Norman asking for an extension of the SSP refund to those with more than 250 employees
  • Letter to Therese Coffey MP, Work and Pensions Secretary - signed by APSCo, ALP, TEAM and REC

May

  • APSCo submits evidence to the Treasury Committee on the Impact of Coronavirus to the UK Economy
  • Letter to the Chancellor

April

  • Letter to John Glen, Financial Secretary to HM Treasury 
  • A letter to Mel Stride, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee
  • Letter to Ed Miliband MP Shadow Business Secretary
  • Letter from APSCo and other stakeholders to Chancellor re: Agency and Umbrella Workers
  • Letter to Annaliese Dodds MP Shadow Chancellor

March

  • APSCo writes to Chief Executive of British Business Bank
  • APSCo Call To Arms - COVID-19 Template Letter to send to your MP

January/February

  • APSCo files response to consultation on ICO draft direct marketing code of practice
  • APSCo attends  2nd meeting with Jesse Norman MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
  • APSCo co-chairs HMRC bi-monthly IR35 Forum
  • APSCo submits evidence to House of Lords Finance Bill sub-committee on IR35
  • APSCo meets with Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat leadership candidate
  • APSCo meets with Steve Double MP, Vice-Chair of the SPPG on Migration
  • APSCo submits evidence to the APPG on migration 
  • APSCo meets with Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury to discuss review of IR35 implementation
  • APSCo writes to Chancellor urging for a delay to Off-Payroll rules in the private sector
  • APSCo publishes half year policy document

2019

  • APSCo publishes manifesto: The Changing Face of Work: Promoting the Value of Professional Talent  
  • APSCo invited to present evidence to the APPG on migration
  • APSCo invited to present evidence to Sir Aymos Morse on Independent Loan Charge Review 
  • APSCo meets with Craig Tracey MP, PPS to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to discuss professional recruitment within the economy
  • APSCo responds to consultation on Good Work Plan: One Sided Flexibility 
  • APSCo responds to HMRC Off Payroll Consultation
  • APSCo has one to one meetings with Ben Bradley MP; Ian Mearns MP – members of Education Select Committee
  • APSCo has one to one meetings with Baroness Garden and Lord Lucas – members of various APPGs concerning skills and employment
  • Mike Kane MP Shadow Minister for Schools attends APSCo dinner 
  • APSCo meets with Kate Green MP who introduces APSCo to the APGG on migration
  • APSCo meets with Mark Pawsey MP who then tables questions in parliament on post Brexit immigration policy
  • APSCo co-chairs bi-monthly HMRC IR35 Forum
  • APSCo attends bi-monthly CBI Employment Taxes Forum
  • APSCo attends quarterly meetings with Employment Agency Standards team and BEIS Policy Adviser
  • APSCo meets with Director of Labour Market Enforcement & Safer Jobs
  • APSCo launches monthly Brexit Journal 

2018

  • APSCo becomes co-chair of HMRC’s IR35 Forum, representing the non-HMRC members of the group
  • HMRC’s IR35 Forum becomes a sub-committee of their Employment & Payroll Group, which APSCo now sits on
  • APSCo meets with the Sir David Metcalf, Director of Labour Market Enforcement
  • APSCo engages with BEIS regarding four consultations in response to the Taylor Review
  • Legal and  Compliance briefing on Taylor 'Good Work' review

2017

  • APSCo engages with BEIS on The Taylor Review recommendations, and provides submission
  • APSCo surveys members on impact of the off-payroll rules in the public sector
  • APSCo lobbies Conservative backbench MPs and the Treasury regarding the possible extension of the off-payroll rules into the private sector
  • APSCo 2017 Manifesto, Brexit & Beyond published and sent to 50 MPs and decision makers
  • APSCo is first recruitment body to give evidence to the Matthew Taylor Review on modern working practices
  • APSCo responds to Independent Review on Modern Working Practices
  • APSCo is successful in getting revisions to the Off-payroll Rules in the Public Sector
  • APSCo has various meetings and communications with the Government regarding the Apprenticeship Levy
  • APSCo liaises with the Crown Commercial Service & the Department for Education regarding the proposed supply teacher framework
  • APSCo meets with Resolution Foundation
  • APSCo responds to Child & Family Social Work National Assessment and Accreditation System

2016

  • APSCo lobbies MPs on proposed off-payroll working in the public sector tax changes
  • APSCo responds to consultation on off-payroll working in the public sector
  • APSCo continues as a member of HMRC’s IR35 Forum
  • APSCo sits on the Professional Assurance Group for Public Sector Resourcing (PSR) liaising with the Crown Commercial Service
  • APSCo EU Manifesto Informing the Debate published and sent to MPs and stakeholders
  • APSCo lobbies German Government on AÜG reform

2015

  • APSCo is successful in getting significant concessions to reporting requirements
  • APSCo responds to consultation on travel and subsistence tax relief
  • APSCo responds to consultation on IR35 Review
  • APSCo writes to Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary, about recruitment in the healthcare sector
  • APSCo lobbies on proposals for rate caps in the NHS

2014

  • APSCo lobbies on onshore and offshore proposals
  • APSCo has various meetings HMRC regarding Finance Bill changes
  • APSCo lobbies on reporting requirements

2013

  • APSCo continues to lobby on tax avoidance 
  • Offshore employment intermediaries consultation
  • APSCo meets with HMRC on numerous occasions regarding tax avoidance proposals
  • House of Lords Select Committee on Personal Service Companies
  • Onshore Employment Intermediaries consultation

2012

  • Recruitment Supply Chain business forum
  • Launch of APSCode – RPO & MSP code of conduct
  • APSCo meets Government Procurement Service
  • APSCo joins Security Clearance Forum
  • APSCo meets Treasury and HMRC re off-payroll arrangements
  • APSCo responds to Controlling Persons consultation – Government backs down
  • APSCo meets Chair of Public Accounts Committe