Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure compliance with the working time directive for apprentices.

Apprentices have the same employment rights as other employees, including those under the Working Time Regulations.

The enforcement of sanctions under the Working Time Regulations is dependent upon the breach. Breaches of limits on maximum weekly working time, night work and patterns of work which generate health and safety risks are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive, other sector-specific state enforcement bodies, and local authorities for certain types of premises.

Workers may bring a complaint to an Employment Tribunal if they feel they have not been permitted to exercise their right to daily or weekly rest.