HC Deb 25 March 2002 vol 382 c736W
Mrs. Irene Adams

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers within Paisley, North have been found to be breaching the minimum wage legislation. [43916]

Dawn Primarolo

This information is not available. For Scotland, over 1,600 investigations have been completed since the introduction of the national minimum wage in April 1999 with non-compliance being discovered in 27 per cent. of cases. During this period wages arrears of £550.000 have been identified.

Mrs. Irene Adams

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers within Paisley North, having advertised with the Employment Service, have subsequently been found to have breached the minimum wage legislation. [43918]

Dawn Primarolo

The information is not available.

The Employment Service (ES) will not accept for display any vacancy that does not meet the requirements of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act 1998. ES has in place a robust and ongoing monitoring system to ensure it meets its commitment to display only NMW compliant vacancies. However, with over two million vacancies handled every year there is always a risk that a "rogue vacancy" will slip through the net. Where ES is made aware of this, services to the employer may be suspended while the complaint is investigated. All complainants in these circumstances are advised to contact the Inland Revenue, as the NMW enforcement agency, to allow further investigation.