This Government is absolutely clear: exploitation of interns is unacceptable and we don\u2019t hesitate to act where we find that employment law has been broken and someone who is entitled to the minimum wage hasn\u2019t been paid it.<\/p>
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Complaints from interns about non-payment of the minimum wage are prioritised by HMRC for investigation and HMRC will investigate every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline.<\/p>
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Research shows that internships and work experience programmes can be valuable opportunities for young people taking their first steps in the labour market. Our work on interns and the National Minimum Wage aims to achieve the right balance between ensuring that opportunities for young people are not cut off and minimising the risk of exploitation.<\/p>
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Our concern, if we were to prohibit unpaid internships, is that this may lead to employers recruiting interns through informal and privileged networks with adverse effects on social mobility or have adverse consequences on the number of available opportunities.<\/p>
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There is no definition of an internship in minimum wage legislation and interns are considered in the same way as everyone else with regards to whether the minimum wage is due. The key issue is whether or not they are workers as defined by minimum wage legislation. If they are, then they are eligible for the minimum wage unless a specific exemption applies. Volunteers are not workers and are not eligible for the minimum wage.<\/p>
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<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4284", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-29T16:15:22.2220144Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Unpaid Work"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what is their assessment of the recent proposal by the Child Poverty and Social Justice Commission that unpaid internships should be illegal.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4218", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Berridge"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Berridge"} ], "uin" : "HL2219"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/99959", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/99959/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Start Up Loan Company (SULCo) administers the Start Up Loan programme on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). As a commercially independent company, SULCo reports to BIS on the number of Start Up Loans.<\/p>
The Start Up Loan programme was extended to include Northeren Ireland in June 2013.<\/p>
Figures from 30/09/2014 show there have been 186 Start Up Loans with a value of £893,010 in Northeren Ireland<\/p>
<\/p>
in the UK, there have been over 21,000 Start Up Loans with a value of £113m issued since the programme began in June 2012.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
To date there have been over 21,000 Start Up Loans with a value of £113m issued since the programme began in June 2012.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4284", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-03T11:51:29.2066084Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "New Businesses: Northern Ireland"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government how many applications for the Start Up Loans scheme have been received from Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such loans provided for new businesses in Northern Ireland since the scheme was introduced.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3801", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Browne of Belmont"} ], "uin" : "HL2174"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/99961", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/99961/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The most recent official figures available (calculated by the Irish government and estimating the figure at 198,000 jobs) are now 5 years old. We were unable to find an estimate more current than this.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
In this case, we consider that the time and the associated costs involved in generating an estimate of the number of jobs would be disproportionate to the outcome.<\/p>
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