Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of employers who self-reported their non-compliance with the national minimum wage as a result of the Government’s recent campaign on their policy.

Mr David Gauke

The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it.

Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay arrears of wages at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to £20,000 per underpaid worker. A further increase in penalties will come into force in April 2016 and will increase the penalty percentage from 100% to 200% of the underpayments owed to each worker, up to the existing maximum.

Work on the campaign continues so I refer the honourable member to the answer provided at UIN 8859.