Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department are paid less than the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

In line with the Government’s commitment given in the budget, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will continue to ensure staff are paid at or above the statutory National Living Wage which is currently £7.83 per hour.

As of 31 December 2017, 8.7% of employees within the Ministry of Justice and its agencies excluding Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) on which there is reliable data were paid below the ‘Real’ Living Wage (RLW) as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.”

As of 31 December 2017, 1.1% of direct employees in HMPPS were paid below the RLW.

As of April 2018, 24.6% of agency and outsourced staff within the Ministry of Justice are paid less than the RLW.