“Inside IR35” contractors/workers within the Assembly Commission

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FoI 12-20

05 March 2020

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I can confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission holds information relevant to your request of 17 February 2020.  In your request you asked for the following information:

“Under FoI, please could you tell me:

- How many open positions you have for "inside IR35" workers/contractors? (ie. how many positions are you advertising but so far have not found suitable people to fill)

- How many filled "inside IR35" positions do you have? (ie. how many people are working for you with "inside IR35" conditions)

You're welcome to use any time in the recent past for these calculations, although the more recent the better, please (and please tell me what time you used). The length of tenure, either expected or worked is not important – just the number of positions is enough for me.

For example:

"On January 22nd, we had 12 open inside-IR35 positions, and 5 filled.”

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission has no open or filled “inside IR35” positions.  The Commission does not engage the services of contractors who fall under the scope of the off-payroll working rules (IR35).  All permanent staff are employed under a contract of service and the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission accounts for tax and national insurance for such employees. Temporary workers are engaged through an agency workers contract where the terms are such that the workers are employed by the agency.  

If you feel that the information we have provided does not meet your request fully, please contact this office as soon as possible.  You have the right to request a formal review by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address.

If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,  Cheshire SK9 5AF who will undertake an independent review.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me.  Please remember to quote the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

INFORMATION STANDARDS