Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) direct employees, (b) outsourced workers and (c) workers in agencies which report to his Department are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

All staff directly employed by the core Department and its Executive Agencies are paid the Living Wage or above.

The Department and its Executive Agencies do not routinely collect information on the numbers or salaries of employees working for outsourced service providers on their premises. All service providers comply with the law in respect of the National Minimum Wage, but in line with Cabinet Office advice the Department and its Executive Agencies do not require their suppliers to pay their employees the local Living Wage. Public Health England are actively working with their supply base to ensure that staff such as cleaners etc., working on their leased and/or shared premises are paid in accordance with the Living Wage.

All agency staff in the Department’s Executive Agencies are paid at or above the living wage. The core Department currently has four agency staff on less than the living wage. In accordance with the Agency Worker Regulation 2010 (as amended) these four agency workers, on the completion of the 12 week qualifying period, will be paid the equivalent of a permanent member of staff on the starting point of the pay scale for their equivalent grade which are all above the Living Wage.