Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Renationalise the NHS, scrap integrated care systems, and end PFI contracts
Gov Responded - 23 Dec 2021 Debated on - 31 Jan 2022 View Andy McDonald's petition debate contributionsWe demand the Government restore England’s publicly funded, publicly provided NHS by reversing all privatising legislation, ending ongoing PFI contracts, and scrapping plans for Integrated Care Systems and for-profit US-style ‘managed care’.
These initiatives were driven by Andy McDonald, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Andy McDonald has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to amend the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 to make provision about supplementary powers for the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to secure information from public bodies; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about liability for negligence in relation to psychiatric illness; toamend the law relating to damages in respect of personal injuries and death; and forconnected purposes.
Free School Meals (Primary Schools) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Zarah Sultana (Lab)
Bullying and respect at work Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Rachael Maskell (LAB)
Town and Country Planning (Electricity Generating Consent) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Tom Blenkinsop (Lab)
Town and Country Planning (Electricity Generating Consent) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Tom Blenkinsop (Lab)
There have been no reports of any covid-19 related incident which would require reporting under Regulation 9(b) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
If there is reason to believe that a causal occupational link has been established in relation to any person who develops covid-19 in connection with work on the parliamentary estate, the incident will be reported as per legislation and appropriate records maintained.
All reported accidents, incidents or work-related ill health where the Clerk of the House is a duty holder are reported to the Health and Safety Executive as required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
The risk assessment was published on 28th May and can be accessed at the following link on the UK Parliament transparency pages.
Responsibility for and access to testing and tracing is a matter for the Department of Health and Social Care and the relevant public health body.
The House of Commons Commission continues to work closely with the public health agencies and has put in place arrangements to support any requests made by these agencies as part of the contracting tracing process.
No. I refer the hon. Member to the letter to him from the DLUHC Permanent Secretary on this issue. More broadly, on the issue of Teesworks, I would also refer him to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 May 2023 (HCWS813).
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 15260 on 17 June 2021.
The government remains fully committed to transparency, and there are no plans to review the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in designated freeports. Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights and the environment will not be compromised.
The Prime Minister has asked the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform to generate recommendations for how the UK can take advantage of its newfound regulatory freedom.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform-tigrr-terms-of-reference
The Prime Minister has asked the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform to generate recommendations for how the UK can take advantage of its newfound regulatory freedom.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform-tigrr-terms-of-reference
The Government is currently reviewing the application of employment law to renewable energy installations. We will continue to review the needs of the renewable energy sector and its workforce - and take action when needed - as we progress towards reaching Net Zero by 2050.
The Seafarers Wages Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, will mean (when law) that those seafarers who call regularly (at least 120 times a year) at UK ports will be entitled to an equivalent of the National Minimum Wage. This would include those seafarers working on ships to and from offshore renewable platforms.
In the yearly reporting period 2020-21, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate closed 177 inspections and 1,800 investigations (complaint-based cases).
The HMRC National Minimum Wage Enforcement Team closed 2,740 cases.
The Health and Safety Executive carried out 14,880 inspections and 14,426 investigations (8,026 of which were workplace concerns raised by employees, members of the public or others; 6,189 were non-fatal accidents; 211 were fatalities). HSE also conducted over 182,700 spot checks to ensure workplace premises were Covid-secure.
The Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority carried out a total of 221 inspections (157 application inspections and 64 compliance inspections). The GLAA conducted 476 investigations in total, 380 of these were led by the GLAA and the remaining 96 were led by other agencies and supported by the GLAA.
In 2020-21 HMRC National Minimum Wage Enforcement Team had 420 full time equivalents at year end.
The Health and Safety Executive does not distinguish between ‘front line’ and non ‘front line’ enforcement roles. However, for the year 2020-21 HSE employed 953 warrant-holding staff in all grades and roles, including trainees, managers and specialists.
As of March 2021, the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority had 63 frontline officers.
This Government takes the enforcement of the minimum wage seriously. Paying the minimum wage is not optional, it’s the law.
Our priority has always been to ensure that workers receive the money they are owed as quickly as possible. It is for this reason, in the vast majority of cases, HMRC pursue civil enforcement. However, for the most egregious breaches of National Minimum Wage law, where employers are persistently non-compliant, or refuse to cooperate with HMRC, criminal prosecution may take place.
The Government published prosecution numbers for non-payment of the NMW by area in the 2019-20 Enforcement and Compliance report which can be found in Table 12 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964238/nmw-e-c-report-tables-2019-2020.xlsx.
The figures for 2020-21 will be published in due course.
The Government undertook a consultation (‘Trade Union Act 2016: Consultation on the Certification Officer’s enforcement powers’) which gave relevant stakeholders the opportunity to comment on proposals. The Government’s response was published earlier this year.
The planned reforms will make the Certification Officer a more effective regulator, with powers and funding more in line with similar bodies. This proper and fair regulation, which is fully compliant with international obligations, will enhance transparency and improve standards for the benefit of union members and the wider public.
Non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have a role in the process of national government but are not part of a government department. They operate at arm’s length from Ministers, though a Minister will be responsible to Parliament for the NDPBs.
Although we have not targeted NDPBs specifically in our communications, this Government has been clear that we expect all employers to treat their employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership. Using threats about firing and rehiring as a negotiation tactic is unacceptable. We expect employers and employees to negotiate new terms and conditions and there are laws around how this must be done, and protections in place when firms are considering redundancies.
Last year, we asked the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to collect evidence into how fire and rehire is being used by employers. This report was published on 8 June. We have asked Acas to produce better, more comprehensive, clearer guidance to help all employers explore all the options before considering ‘fire and rehire’ and encourage good employment relations practice. This will be relevant to all employers.
The Certification Office cost: £883,370 in the year commencing 1 April 2017; £1,103,037 in the year commencing 1 April 2018; £1,097,132 in the year commencing 1 April 2019; and £1,079,812 in the year commencing 1 April 2020.
The Certification Office budget for the year commencing 1 April 2021 has not yet formally been allocated. The Certification Office anticipates that the total cost of the office will be approximately £1,100,000.
The Government’s latest estimate is that the office will cost approximately £1,150,000 in the year commencing 1 April 2022. This figure includes an adjustment to account for the costs associated with implementing the additional powers granted to the Certification Officer by the Trade Union Act 2016, which are due to come into force from April 2022.
The Certification Office cost: £883,370 in the year commencing 1 April 2017; £1,103,037 in the year commencing 1 April 2018; £1,097,132 in the year commencing 1 April 2019; and £1,079,812 in the year commencing 1 April 2020.
The Certification Office budget for the year commencing 1 April 2021 has not yet formally been allocated. The Certification Office anticipates that the total cost of the office will be approximately £1,100,000.
The Government’s latest estimate is that the office will cost approximately £1,150,000 in the year commencing 1 April 2022. This figure includes an adjustment to account for the costs associated with implementing the additional powers granted to the Certification Officer by the Trade Union Act 2016, which are due to come into force from April 2022.
The Certification Office cost: £883,370 in the year commencing 1 April 2017; £1,103,037 in the year commencing 1 April 2018; £1,097,132 in the year commencing 1 April 2019; and £1,079,812 in the year commencing 1 April 2020.
The Certification Office budget for the year commencing 1 April 2021 has not yet formally been allocated. The Certification Office anticipates that the total cost of the office will be approximately £1,100,000.
The Government’s latest estimate is that the office will cost approximately £1,150,000 in the year commencing 1 April 2022. This figure includes an adjustment to account for the costs associated with implementing the additional powers granted to the Certification Officer by the Trade Union Act 2016, which are due to come into force from April 2022.
The Department engaged ACAS to gather evidence of how fire and rehire is being used and they have concluded their work.
ACAS engaged with a range of groups, including employer bodies and trade unions, as well as professional bodies with advisory contact with employers, such as employment lawyers, accountants, and payroll services.
Officials are now giving this evidence due consideration, and the Government will communicate our response in due course.
The Government guidance on the current national restrictions enables tradespeople, such as meter readers and smart meter installers, to work in peoples’ homes if it is a necessary part of their job. The Government is clear that businesses in certain sectors can remain open if they can adhere to Safer Working guidance. When visiting peoples’ homes, tradespeople should follow the guidance and take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions.
Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure that the UK’s high standards with respect to workers’ rights will not be compromised. Therefore the UK’s trade union rights will apply to freeports.
The UK takes a voluntarist approach in relation to industrial relations. Collective bargaining is largely a matter for individual employers, their employees and their trade unions. It is therefore for individual employers to decide whether they wish to recognise a trade union for collective bargaining purposes.
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
The Working safely guidance was last updated on 6 January to reflect the new national lockdown. The guidance is kept under constant review based on the latest scientific evidence we receive.
BEIS has worked closely with Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Public Health England and others throughout the pandemic to ensure that guidance for businesses is based on the most up to date understanding of Covid-19. There are arrangements in place between BEIS and HSE for weekly reviews of the recommendations for workplaces to ensure that any changes are rapidly reflected either through direct changes to the GOV.UK guidance or through links to the recommendations published by other departments.
The proportion of investigations undertaken by Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate with Immigration Enforcement amounts to 0.6% of all cases between 1 April 2016 and 30 November 2020.
HMRC only conduct joint visits where there are pertinent risks for other enforcement agencies. From 2017/18 to 2019/20, joint visits involving Immigration Enforcement represent 1.3% of HMRC National Minimum Wage Team’s investigations.
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority work with several partners, including Immigration Enforcement, in different ways which may change as an investigation develops. They only capture data on the lead agency in each case and therefore it is not possible to accurately state the total proportion of investigations carried out with Immigration Enforcement.
The Government does not currently intend to amend domestic legislation to require employers to record working hours as set out in the judgment.
It is important that employers comply with the Working Time Regulations in respect of working hours and daily and weekly rest, and that they are held to account if they don't. Workers can take a case to employment tribunal concerning insufficient rest, and the Health and Safety Executive directly enforces maximum working hours. The Government has also committed to bringing forward state enforcement of the rules in the Working Time Regulations on holiday pay for vulnerable workers, to ensure that workers get the paid time off they deserve.
The Government does not disclose the legal advice it receives in relation to its work.
The Government does not currently intend to amend domestic legislation to require employers to record working hours as set out in the judgment.
It is important that employers comply with the Working Time Regulations in respect of working hours and daily and weekly rest, and that they are held to account if they don't. Workers can take a case to employment tribunal concerning insufficient rest, and the Health and Safety Executive directly enforces maximum working hours. The Government has also committed to bringing forward state enforcement of the rules in the Working Time Regulations on holiday pay for vulnerable workers, to ensure that workers get the paid time off they deserve.
The Government does not disclose the legal advice it receives in relation to its work.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enforce the National Minimum Wage regulations on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). They investigate where they believe an employer is not paying the minimum wage and follow up every worker complaint they receive. HMRC only hold data relating to (a) wages recovered for workers. They do not hold data relating to (b) money recovered for workers from unlawful fees charges to workers or (c) unpaid holiday pay recovered for workers as these are outside of their remit.
The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) do not differentiate between the amount of money recovered in unpaid wages, holiday pay or a potential unlawful deduction.
| Money recovered for workers | |||
| 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate | £69, 500 | £150, 000 | £61, 000 | £73, 500 (up to 30 November 2020) |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | £10,918,047 | £15, 615, 609[1] | £20, 800, 000 | Not yet available [2] |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority [3] | £93, 165 | £94, 444 | £116, 605.30 | £8, 285.90 (Up to 31 October 2020) |
[1] Source: 18/19 compliance and enforcement report
[2] These figures will be published in the enforcement and compliance report for that year.
[3] GLAA are sponsored by the Home Office, rather than BEIS. These figures have been provided by GLAA.
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
The Government’s role in these situations is to set the legislative framework and requirements for collective redundancy consultation.
Disputes about the compliance are generally questions of fact and the Employment Tribunal is best placed to determine whether a breach of the requirements has taken place and whether there should be an award for the breach.
The Government has powers to act where there has been a failure to notify the Secretary of State of proposed collective redundancies prior to the start of statutory consultation.
The Government has a robust package of measures to address non-compliance including:
Government recognises the importance of ensuring that where redundancies are necessary, employers get the process right. Acas has been running webinars focusing on handling redundancies in both collective and non-collective situations. The range of digital events outline the legal processes around redundancy. The events have been updated to consider the specific challenges around Coronavirus as well as alternatives to redundancy, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
In addition, Acas, CBI and TUC have published a joint statement on handling redundancies. Their message encourages employers to exhaust all possible alternatives before making redundancies and to consult with their workforce on what these alternatives might be. The organisations have called on all employers considering redundancies to work with their trade unions and employees and get the process right by following 5 principles:
In the Queens’ Speech, we announced we will bring forward measures to deliver on a range of Manifesto commitments.
Our legislation will make workplaces fairer, by providing better support for working families and by encouraging flexible working.
We will deliver on our commitment to balance the needs of both employers and workers to ensure we have an employment framework that is fit for purpose for the 21st century.
It is important that we work closely with stakeholders to make sure we get the legislation right, and we will bring forward details of the Employment Bill in due course.
In the Queens’ Speech, we announced we will bring forward measures to deliver on a range of Manifesto commitments.
Our legislation will make workplaces fairer, by providing better support for working families and by encouraging flexible working.
We will deliver on our commitment to balance the needs of both employers and workers to ensure we have an employment framework that is fit for purpose for the 21st century.
It is important that we work closely with stakeholders to make sure we get the legislation right, and we will bring forward details of the Employment Bill in due course.
The Government is committed to tackling minimum wage non-compliance. Anyone entitled to be paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW) should receive it. The last financial year (2019/20) was another strong year for NMW enforcement. HMRC completed over 3,300 investigations and found arrears in just over 1,200 of them. They identified £20.8 million in arrears for over 263,000 workers and issued just under 1,000 penalties, totalling £18.5 million to non-compliant employers.
We have noted the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations made in their 2020 report on non-compliance and enforcement of the NMW. We responded to the LPC’s last (2019) set of enforcement recommendations in the 2018/19 edition of BEIS’ annual report on NMW Enforcement and Compliance[1].
We have already acted on the recommendations made by the LPC following the publication of their report in May 2020. We have drawn up plans for evaluative work across the 2020-21 financial year, started research to assess the impact of HMRC’s promote activity and engaged with both the Department for Education and HMRC to tackle the underpayment of apprentices. We will respond in full to the LPC’s 2020 enforcement recommendations in due course. We will also provide more detailed statistics on enforcement in 2019/20 as part of the 2019/20 edition of BEIS’ annual report on NMW Enforcement and Compliance.
[1] National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: Government evidence on compliance and enforcement, 2019 (BEIS, 2020)
The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. Our priority is to ensure that workers receive the money they are owed as quickly as possible. For this reason, in the vast majority of cases, HMRC pursue civil enforcement, which is the quickest way of ensuring workers receive their arrears.
Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings and Orders provide a further tool for cases that involve high levels of arrears per worker and/or NMW non-compliance over an extended period of time. These can result in a two-year custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine.
HMRC investigates all complaints from workers; and if anyone thinks they are not receiving at least the minimum wage they can contact Acas, in confidence, on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form using the link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints
HMRC will prosecute where it finds the most serious cases of non-compliance and since the financial year 2009-10 HMRC NMW investigations have led to 8 successful prosecutions of employers for NMW related offences.
Total prosecutions since the financial year 2009-10:
Number | Region | Date |
1 | Manchester | 23/06/2010 |
2 | London | 26/02/2013 |
3 | Birmingham | 11/05/2016 |
4 | Weymouth | 13/05/2016 |
5 | Oldham | 04/08/2016 |
6 | Southampton | 08/12/2016 |
7 | Birmingham | 17/08/2017 |
8* | - | November 2019 |
Government compliance and enforcement 18/19 link:
*The eighth case was successfully prosecuted in November 2019. As this case falls outside the 2018/19 reporting period, it will be detailed in next year’s (19/20) report.
The Government is deeply concerned by the reports of illegal and unsafe working conditions for textile workers in Leicester, especially in light of the recent increase in COVID-19 infections.
The main labour market enforcement bodies (the HMRC National Minimum Wage team and the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority), as well as the Police and the Health & Safety Executive, have been working closely with Leicester Council to set up the Leicester Compliance Task Force. The key aims of the taskforce is to address broader labour market and health and safety issues by using local knowledge to improve understanding of the exploitation risks, increase awareness, support victims and ensure compliance.
Since 2017, a number of operations have been undertaken in the Leicester area linked to potential exploitation, including underpayment of the minimum wage. Where breaches have been found appropriate enforcement action has been taken, including warning letters, recovery of unpaid wages, penalties, and director disqualifications.
The Government has more than doubled the budget for National Minimum Wage compliance and enforcement to £27.5 million for 2020/21, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16. Increasing the budget allows HMRC to focus on tackling the most serious cases of wilful non-compliance. It also increases the number of compliance officers available to investigate minimum wage complaints and conduct risk-based enforcement in sectors where non-compliance is most likely.
The Department continues to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on working conditions in the UK and internationally. We are currently contributing to domestic research on changes to working practices in the UK which will be published in due course.
As the UK has left the European Union, the UK is no longer a member of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Only Member States of the EU can be members of the Foundation. The UK will continue to have access to the research produced by the Foundation, and if the Foundation or the EU wish the UK to be involved in any discussions, meetings or research, the UK Government will consider any such request on its merits.
We worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive to develop this guidance, including the risk assessment content. Existing health and safety legislation requires risk assessments to be carried out, and our guidance does not change this.
We are asking companies to consider publishing the results of their risk assessments whenever possible, although publishing risk assessments is not a legal obligation. The Government expects larger organisations – those with over 50 workers – to publish the results of their risk assessments.
We think businesses will want to do this to help build the confidence of their workers and their customers.
In order to help with this, the Government has provided a new notice which employers can display to show they have followed the guidance on managing the risks of COVID-19.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is not compiling a list of businesses that have carried out risk assessments.
As stated in the Answer of 2 June 2020 to Question 49014, existing health and safety legislation requires risk assessments. The safer working guidance does not change this.
Publishing risk assessments is not a legal obligation, but we are asking companies to consider publishing the results of their risk assessments whenever possible. We recommend that larger companies – those with over 50 workers – publish the results of their risk assessments.
We think employers will want to do this to help build the confidence of their workers and their customers.
Existing health and safety legislation requires risk assessments. The safer working guidance does not change this.
Employers have a duty to consult their employees, and unions where applicable, as part of their risk assessment. Involving workers in this will help build trust and confidence that all reasonably practicable steps are being taken to reduce risks of COVID-19, so that people can return to work safely.
All businesses should share the results of their risk assessment with their employees. The Government is asking employers to publish the results of these assessments on their websites whenever possible. The Government expects larger organisations – those with over 50 workers – to publish the results of their risk assessments.
In order to help with this, the Government has provided a new notice which employers can download and display to show they have followed the guidance on managing the risks of COVID-19.
Under the law, employers are responsible for health and safety management and should take the necessary steps to ensure safe workplaces. During the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has worked with a wide range of businesses, trade unions and representative organisations to issue guidance on safe return to work. Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive have also issued guidance on how to ensure social distancing and hygiene measures in the workplace.
In line with employment and health and safety law, this guidance sets out that where employees have health and safety concerns, they should raise this with their employee representative, trade union, or the Health & Safety Executive. Where HSE identifies employers who are not taking action to comply with the relevant PHE guidance to control public health risks they will consider taking a range of enforcement action. The Government recently announced an additional £14 million of funding for HSE to support this work.
We are in close contact with Boeing as well as key UK suppliers. Boeing has confirmed that their decision to temporarily suspend 737 production is the least disruptive to the long-term health of their production system and supply chain. Due to the diversification of the UK supplier base, we would not anticipate this stop in production to have a significant impact on the UK aerospace industry overall but will consider the potential impact on individual companies. Boeing is working with its suppliers in the UK to minimise operational disruption and provide as much certainty as possible. We will continue to maintain close dialogue with Boeing and suppliers to monitor the situation as they continue to assess the appropriate duration of the suspension.
The Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. We always expect employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. We are confident that all non-departmental public bodies are aware of the Government’s position on this matter.
We work constructively with each non-departmental public body we have responsibility for and this includes when it comes to workforce management matters, however each is ultimately responsible for the management of their staff.