Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what proportion of (a) his Department's staff and (b) staff working for companies contracted by his Department are paid less than the Living Wage.

There are no direct Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) employees paid less than the living wage, either nationally or in London.

We do not hold details centrally of all the staff working for companies contracted by the Department.

BIS has no plans to require their contractors to pay the Living Wage. We would encourage them to do so if it was affordable but this must be a decision for the contractors themselves. On the 1st April 2014 the Secretary of State increased the wages of the lowest paid contractors to £7.85.