Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were repaid arrears of the national minimum wage as a result of his Department's enforcement activity in each of the last six years.

The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC undertake targeted enforcement on employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying NMW.

HMRC does not attribute the number of any multiple complaints to individual employers.

HMRC does not record the average costs of individual types of enforcement activity.

HMRC has identified arrears of National Minimum Wage for the following numbers of workers in in each of the past six years.

The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW will pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not, HMRC will pursue recovery through the civil courts on behalf of the workers.