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>
<\/p>
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>
<\/p>
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>
<\/p>
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>
<\/p>
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>
<\/p>
<\/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/100604", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100604/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts for 16, 17 and 18 year olds in 2012/13 and provisional full year apprenticeship starts for the same ages in 2013/14. Provisional data are subject to change and should not be directly compared with data from earlier academic years.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
Table 1: Apprenticeship starts by age (2012/13 and 2013/14 provisional full year)<\/strong><\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2012/13<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2013/14<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> <\/p><\/td> <\/p><\/td> Full year<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Age<\/p><\/td> Full year<\/p><\/td> (provisional)<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 16<\/p><\/td> 25,080<\/p><\/td> 25,170<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 17<\/p><\/td> 35,810<\/p><\/td> 38,320<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 18<\/p><\/td> 53,430<\/p><\/td> 54,140<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Notes<\/p> <\/p> 1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.<\/p> <\/p> 2) Age is calculated based on age at start of the programme rather than based on 31 August.<\/p> <\/p> 3) Provisional data are subject to change and should not be directly compared with data from earlier academic years.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/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"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-29T17:05:23.7910885Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Apprentices"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government how many (1) 16 year-olds, (2) 17 year-olds, and (3) 18 year-olds started apprenticeships in the academic years 2012\u201313 and 2013\u201314 in England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3144", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Smith of Clifton"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Smith of Clifton"}
], "uin" : "HL2335"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100306", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100306/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is planning to visit Bassetlaw on Thursday 27 November.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Swinson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Dunbartonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Swinson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-29T14:30:51.0132019Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bassetlaw"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he next plans to visit local businesses in Bassetlaw.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1387", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Mann"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bassetlaw"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Mann"}
], "uin" : "211421"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100781", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100781/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " After this matter was raised by the Hon. Member for Bradford South (Gerry Sutcliffe) at Prime Minister\u2019s Questions on 28 June 2014, I, along with officials from the Insolvency Service, held a meeting with the Hon. Member for Bradford South, Mr Sutcliffe, on 17 July 2014. Mr Sutcliffe is head of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for this issue, and therefore representative of stakeholders\u2019 views. At that meeting he handed over further information from the liquidators of two companies which operated the extended warranty schemes sold by Scottish Power, and we agreed that the Insolvency Service would review this information to ascertain whether or not further investigation was appropriate. It was explained to Mr Sutcliffe that any decision whether or not to commence an investigation using s447 Companies Act would be confidential and the Insolvency Service would not be in a position to confirm that decision or comment further.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Swinson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Dunbartonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Swinson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-29T16:07:52.9974936Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Scottish Power"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has held with stakeholders on the nature of the warranties sold by Scottish Power to its customers in the 1980s and 1990s.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1610", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr William Bain"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow North East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr William Bain"}
], "uin" : "211767"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100299", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100299/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Tata have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Klesch Group about a possible sale of their Long Products Division. Both companies have made clear that there are some months of commercial negotiation ahead including consultations with the workforce.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The Government and the Scottish Government have ongoing discussions on these and other matters all the time.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matthew Hancock"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-29T16:53:12.8638043Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Tata Steel"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Urgent Question on 16 October 2014, Official Report, column 445, on Tata Steel, what meetings and discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Scottish Government to discuss the selling of the Long Products Division.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Iain Wright"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hartlepool"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Iain Wright"}
], "uin" : "211567"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100294", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100294/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " In total more than 21,000 Start Up Loans have been issued to budding entrepreneurs across the country since the scheme launched in June 2012. 38 loans have been issued in Pendle constituency out of 794 loans in total across Lancashire.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matthew Hancock"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-29T14:54:01.3755026Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "New Businesses: Lancashire"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many start-up loans have been granted to businesses in (a) Pendle constituency and (b) Lancashire to date.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4044", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Stephenson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pendle"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Stephenson"}
], "uin" : "211613"}
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