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<p>The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously
and HMRC enforce NMW legislation on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills (BIS) and has done so since the introduction of NMW in April 1999.</p><p>
</p><p>The vast majority of employers obey the law and pay their employees at least
the national minimum wage.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC investigates all complaints made about
employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, in addition to carrying out targeted
enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of NMW across the whole
of the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The number of penalties issued for non-payment of National
Minimum Wage for the timescales requested is set out below:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Penalties
issued</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Penalties amount</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/09</p></td><td><p>N/A*</p></td><td><p>N/A*</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>381</p></td><td><p>£111,183</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>934</p></td><td><p>£520,568</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>906</p></td><td><p>£766,807</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>708</p></td><td><p>£776,517</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>652</p></td><td><p>£815,269</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p>*Civil penalties were introduced on 6 April 2009 for employers who
are found to have underpaid their workers.</p><p> </p><p>I refer the honourable member
to my response of 6 May 2014, Hansard Column 110W. In 2008/09, there were 4317 complete
inspections with 1746 incidences of non-compliance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In all years,
the remaining investigations did not highlight sufficient evidence to prove non-compliance
with the National Minimum Wage Act.</p>
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