| answer text |
<p>HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in
line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy (BEIS).</p><p> </p><p>All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector,
are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. HMRC will not
hesitate to take action to ensure that workers receive the pay to which they are legally
entitled.</p><p> </p><p>A majority of NMW cases relate to civil (non-criminal) offences,
which attract penalties of up to 200% of the identified wage arrears and public naming.</p><p>
</p><p>Alongside civil sanctions, HMRC have a clear approach for how they consider
prosecutions in appropriate cases involving potential criminal breaches in the most
serious cases.</p><p> </p><p>Where potential criminality has occurred, HMRC refer
these cases to the Crown Prosecution Service who decide whether or not to prosecute.</p><p>
</p><p>Since 2010-11 HMRC have completed nearly 25,000 NMW investigations, identifying
over £100 million in national minimum wage arrears for over 950,000 workers. During
this period, HMRC investigations have also led to the successful prosecution of 8
employers for NMW related offences. A yearly breakdown of NMW prosecutions is included
in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number
of prosecutions</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p>
|
|
