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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints have been made against employers registered in (a) Washington and Sunderland West constituency, (b) the Sunderland local authority area and (c) the North East region for paying employees less than the National Minimum Wage in each of the last three years.

Mr David Gauke

The Government takes the enforcement of NMW very seriously and HMRC enforces the national minimum wage legislation on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and has done so since the introduction of NMW in April 1999. It does that by investigating all complaints made about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, and carrying out targeted enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of NMW across the whole of the UK.

HMRC does not capture complaints or the outcomes of its investigations by reference to Government regions, constituencies or county. Its management information relates to the work of teams who are multi-located. Additionally, because it resources to risk, work relating to a specific geographical area is not always done by the NMW team based in that area.

Prior to 6 April 2009, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued penalty notices to those employers who failed to comply with an enforcement notice, within 28 days. A new enforcement regime, introduced in April 2009, saw the introduction of automatic penalties for employers who are found to have underpaid their workers.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry) on 6 May 2014 contained in Official Report column 110W which gives the number of completed inspections and number of non-compliant cases across the UK in the financial years 2009/10 to 2013/14.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of those (a) starting and (b) completing an apprenticeship in England since May 2010 were (i) female, (ii) registered disabled and (iii) from an ethnic minority background.

Matthew Hancock

Information on apprenticeship starts and achievements by gender, ethnicity and learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD) is published by academic year in supplementary tables to a Statistical First Release (SFR).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships–2

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/298401/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296345/apprenticeship-achievements-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xlsm

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the ethnic breakdown of workers earning between the National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage.

Jenny Willott

The Government supports a living wage and encourages businesses to pay it when it is affordable and not at the expense of jobs. However, decisions on what wages to set, above the national minimum wage, are for employers and workers.

The Government has not estimated the breakdown of workers earning between the National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage by ethnicity.

The Government’s main policy lever in addressing low pay is the National Minimum Wage (NMW). Using the Labour Force Survey, in 2013, 8.3% of the ‘ethnic minority’ group (see footnote) were in jobs that paid at or below the NMW while overall 7.8% of the jobs in the economy paid at or below the NMW. This is as set out in the Low Pay Commission’s 2014 Report, Figure 2.6.

We are absolutely clear that anyone from whatever background who is entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it. HMRC investigates every complaint made through the free and confidential Pay and Work Rights Helpline. Since 1 October 2013, employers who fail to pay the National Minimum Wage (NMW) will be publicly named and shamed under revamped criteria announced in August 2013 to make it easier to clamp down on rogue businesses. This is on top of financial penalties which employers already face if they fail to pay NMW.

Footnote:

The definition of ‘ethnic-minority’ group is as defined in the Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Also please note that the LFS overstates the number of Minimum Wage jobs and workers when compared to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) dataset.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the ethnic breakdown of workers on zero hour contracts.

Mr Nick Hurd

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to increase the number of black and minority ethnic professors teaching in public universities.

Mr David Willetts

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are independent, autonomous bodies and are entirely responsible for the recruitment, promotion and retention of their staff. Universities, like other employers, are subject to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and must ensure they do not discriminate in their recruitment practices. Universities are also required to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty and take a proactive approach to advancing equality of opportunity.

I understand that employer and employee representative organisations are taking action to address issues of equality in the higher education sector workforce. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) through the Equality Challenge Unit and in other ways, works with the higher education (HE) sector to support activities to address issues of representation both in the HE workforce and student population.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

Jenny Willott

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Francis Maude) on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 434W.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what targets his Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.

Jenny Willott

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Francis Maude) on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 434W.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

Jenny Willott

I refer the hon. Member to the answergiven by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Francis Maude) on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 433W.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

Jenny Willott

I refer the hon. Member to the answergiven by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Francis Maude) on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 433W.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish a new diversity strategy for the Civil Service.

Mr Francis Maude

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on Monday 16 June 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 434W.