Answer from Hansard

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Kirsty McNeill)

Economic growth is the Government’s No. 1 mission. These changes to national insurance contributions are being made in the context of a resilient labour market, with the estimated employment rate up 0.9 percentage points over the last quarter of 2024. We are creating jobs and opportunities through our plan for change and truly making work pay, to help raise living standards right across the UK.