Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many complaints were heard by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline regarding employment issues; and how many of these complaints were from (a) interns and (b) apprentices in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows the total number of complaints made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (PWRH) and then referred to the relevant enforcement agency. It also includes a breakdown of the number of complaints from interns and apprentices for 2013/14 and 2014/15; the only years for which this data is available. Data for 2014/15 is the latest year for which full year data are available

Table 1: Complaints made to the PWRH by caller type, 2009/10 to 2014/15

Source: Pay and Works Rights Helpline

Notes

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
2. A breakdown of complaints from Apprentice and Interns is not available prior to 2013/14 as these callers types were not considered a prioritised group and were therefore not recorded separately.
3. The PWRH ‘soft launched’ in May 2009, all other years are on a full financial year basis (April to March).
4. Enforcement agencies who investigate complaints include HM Revenue and Customs, Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate, Health and Safety Executive, Gangmasters Licensing Authority and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (until Oct 2013).