§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent investigating companies suspected of having broken the rules on the minimum wage in each year since its introduction. [148173]
§ Mr. SutcliffeThe Inland Revenue enforce the minimum wage on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry(DTI). The following table gives details of the funding the DTI has provided the Revenue in each year since the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999.
£ million 1999–2000 3.5 plus 1.9 start-up costs 2000–01 3.5 2001–02 4.7 2002–03 5.85 2003–04 (forecast) 5.7 Funding in the first two years did not cover overheads, including accommodation costs. Three new 879W compliance teams were established in 2002–03, as were a number of local enforcement pilot projects to help improve compliance with the minimum wage.