Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the availability of apprenticeships to people aged 18 and over is not exploited by employers to pay staff at a rate below the national minimum wage.

The Government is committed to effective enforcement of the National Minimum Wage for all apprentices and we have taken steps to reduce non-compliance. HMRC prioritises complaints made concerning apprenticeship pay. Employers who fail to pay the age appropriate apprenticeship minimum wage will be ‘Named and Shamed’, as well as receiving financial penalties. Furthermore, where there is evidence that an offence has been committed the case will always be considered for prosecution. We have recently increased HMRC’s 2015/16 budget which will enable more HMRC compliance officers to identify businesses that exploit their workers.