Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many successful prosecutions have been made against employers for failing to pay that national minimum wage for intern roles since November 2017; and which employees were subject to such successful prosecutions.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The government is determined to ensure that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have not been paid the NMW should contact Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form at gov.uk. HMRC reviews all complaints that are referred to them.
Most NMW cases are subject to civil (non-criminal) sanctions, the consequences of which include fines of up to 200% of the determined underpayment, and public naming.
Prosecution is reserved for the most serious non-compliance, and since 2007 HMRC investigations have led to the successful prosecution of 14 UK employers for NMW related offences. There have been no prosecutions relating to interns.