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<p><strong>Final approved answer for 2016/02785</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>No
assessment has been made on the impact of confidentiality agreements on the identification
of National Minimum Wage (NMW) non-compliance.</p><p>Confidentiality is an important
protection for workers who wish to make a NMW complaint. If any worker is concerned
they have not received what they are entitled to they should contact the ACAS helpline
on 0300 123 1100 for free and confidential advice. HMRC follow up every complaint
referred to them by Acas and compliance officers can investigate without knowledge
of the complainant’s identity. In addition to complaint-led work HMRC investigate
employers using third-party intelligence and risk-based targeted enforcement in sectors
and areas where there is a higher risk of workers being paid below the NMW.</p><p>The
Government is committed to cracking down on employers who break NMW law. Between April
2015 and November 2015 HMRC took action against over 500 businesses, identifying over
£8 million for 46,000 workers. This is already the largest amount of arrears identified
in any single year since the introduction of the NMW.</p><p>Building on existing reforms,
the Prime Minister announced on 1 September 2015 further measures to strengthen the
enforcement of the NMW including higher penalties, a dedicated HMRC team to tackle
the most serious cases of wilful non-compliance and additional funding for HMRC from
April 2016. We have also increased communications so that working people can access
support to make complaints in confidence if needed</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Table
1: NMW enquiries to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline by trade sector, 2009/10 to 2014/15.</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Trade
Sector</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2009/10<sup>3</sup></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010/11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Activities
of households as employers</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>40</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Admin/Office
work</p></td><td><p>2,530</p></td><td><p>4,410</p></td><td><p>3,910</p></td><td><p>2,950</p></td><td><p>3,310</p></td><td><p>2,390</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Agriculture
and related activities</p></td><td><p>140</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>120</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>110</p></td><td><p>100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cleaning
services</p></td><td><p>440</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>350</p></td><td><p>320</p></td><td><p>420</p></td><td><p>320</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Construction
and related trades</p></td><td><p>1,350</p></td><td><p>1,290</p></td><td><p>1,050</p></td><td><p>760</p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td><td><p>810</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Education
and teaching</p></td><td><p>270</p></td><td><p>370</p></td><td><p>350</p></td><td><p>300</p></td><td><p>540</p></td><td><p>450</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Food
processing and packaging</p></td><td><p>90</p></td><td><p>40</p></td><td><p>50</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hairdressing</p></td><td><p>1,670</p></td><td><p>1,520</p></td><td><p>1,360</p></td><td><p>930</p></td><td><p>1,040</p></td><td><p>730</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Health,
social work and child care</p></td><td><p>1,590</p></td><td><p>1,750</p></td><td><p>1,590</p></td><td><p>1,430</p></td><td><p>2,090</p></td><td><p>1,930</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hospitality</p></td><td><p>1,880</p></td><td><p>1,580</p></td><td><p>1,560</p></td><td><p>1,400</p></td><td><p>1,780</p></td><td><p>1,340</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Information
technology and communication</p></td><td><p>150</p></td><td><p>170</p></td><td><p>180</p></td><td><p>120</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Modelling,
entertainment, recreation</p></td><td><p>90</p></td><td><p>90</p></td><td><p>110</p></td><td><p>80</p></td><td><p>160</p></td><td><p>50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other
manufacturing</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>200</p></td><td><p>150</p></td><td><p>140</p></td><td><p>140</p></td><td><p>120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Security
services</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>170</p></td><td><p>140</p></td><td><p>120</p></td><td><p>150</p></td><td><p>110</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Shellfish
gathering</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Taxi/minicab
services</p></td><td><p>60</p></td><td><p>40</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Textiles</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>80</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Training
Provider</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>70</p></td><td><p>70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Transport
(other than Taxi/mini-cab)</p></td><td><p>350</p></td><td><p>380</p></td><td><p>280</p></td><td><p>270</p></td><td><p>440</p></td><td><p>260</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Warehousing,
storage and distribution</p></td><td><p>490</p></td><td><p>440</p></td><td><p>420</p></td><td><p>340</p></td><td><p>360</p></td><td><p>310</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wholesale
and retail trade</p></td><td><p>1,580</p></td><td><p>1,560</p></td><td><p>1,550</p></td><td><p>1,150</p></td><td><p>1,470</p></td><td><p>930</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>4,980</p></td><td><p>3,880</p></td><td><p>2,590</p></td><td><p>1,980</p></td><td><p>2,780</p></td><td><p>2,210</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Not
Known</p></td><td><p>3,580</p></td><td><p>2,190</p></td><td><p>5,020</p></td><td><p>5,350</p></td><td><p>5,210</p></td><td><p>7,180</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>21,700</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>20,600</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>20,900</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>17,800</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>21,500</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>19,500</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source:
Pay and Workers Rights Helpline and the Acas Helpline</p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>Calls
to the helpline are in part driven by NMW policy announcements and communications
activity.</li><li>Sector level figures are rounded to the nearest 10, totals are rounded
to the nearest 100.</li><li>Reporting years are based on April to March, with the
exception of 2009/10 as the Helpline opened in May 2009.</li></ol><p> </p><p>Since
the 1<sup>st</sup> April 2015, the Acas Helpline has, in addition to its usual services,
been answering queries previously handled by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline.</p><p>
</p><p>Provisional in-year data for 2015/16 show there have been 9,800 queries relating
to NMW legislation to the Acas Helpline and 3,700 queries relating to non-payment/deductions
from NMW. Information on the number of NMW enquiries by trade sector is not collected
on a comparable basis as Acas do not ask callers to disclose information about the
sector worked in. Therefore, Acas only record this information when a caller chooses
to provide it.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: The number of NMW related calls received
by Acas, 2011/12 to 2015/16.</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Query topic</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16<sup>4</sup></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NMW</p></td><td><p>4,400</p></td><td><p>3,800</p></td><td><p>3,800</p></td><td><p>4,400</p></td><td><p>9,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non-Payment/Deductions
from NMW</p></td><td><p>2,000</p></td><td><p>2,500</p></td><td><p>2,900</p></td><td><p>3,100</p></td><td><p>3,700</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source:
Acas</p><p>Notes</p><ol><li>Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.</li><li>One call
may be counted as both a ‘NMW’ and ‘Non-payment/Deductions from NMW’ issue. A caller
may enquire about the NMW rates and then raise a NMW underpayment issue therefore
these categories should not be added together as it will involve double counting.</li><li>For
years earlier than 2015/16, a proportion of calls would have been referred to the
Pay and Work Rights Helpline.</li><li>Reporting years are based on April to March,
with the exception of 2015/16 which covers April 2015 to January 2016, the latest
period for which information is available.</li></ol><p> </p>
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