To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will review the position of the self-employed within the social security system;(2) if he will bring forward legislation to extend entitlement to
(a) the state earnings-related pension scheme and (b) industrial injuries scheme benefits to the self-employed.
We have no plans to review the position of the self-employed within the social security system, or to amend the existing provisions of the state earnings-related pension scheme in relation to self-employed people. We shall be responding shortly to a report which the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council submitted to us in November last year on bringing the self-employed in construction and agriculture into the industrial injuries scheme.