Seafarers who ordinarily work within the UK and its territorial waters are entitled to be paid the UK National Minimum Wage.

The government is clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it and takes robust enforcement action against employers who do not pay their staff correctly. HMRC enforce the minimum wage on behalf of the government, across all sectors of the economy. They consider every complaint from workers, conduct proactive enforcement activities, and deliver educational activity to support employer compliance. HMRC have a strong record on enforcing the minimum wage. Since 2015 they have returned over £100 million in unpaid wages to 1 million workers.

If anyone thinks they have been underpaid, they should complain to HMRC using the online form on GOV.UK, or call the Acas helpline. Complaints can be made anonymously and HMRC won't reveal a worker's identity to the employer.

In 2020-21 HMRC National Minimum Wage Enforcement Team had 420 full time equivalents at year end.

The Health and Safety Executive does not distinguish between ‘front line’ and non ‘front line’ enforcement roles. However, for the year 2020-21 HSE employed 953 warrant-holding staff in all grades and roles, including trainees, managers and specialists.

As of March 2021, the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority had 63 frontline officers.

In the latest naming round, 208 employers were named for failing to pay £1.2m to around 12,000 workers. The employers were also ordered to pay nearly £2m in penalties.

Unpaid working time, which can include unpaid trial shifts, was a factor in 29% of these cases. Further information is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1039498/R18_Education_Bulletin_-_salaried_hours_final.pdf.

Publicly naming these employers sends a clear message that it is never acceptable to underpay workers and that the minority who do so will not get off lightly. It also acts as an important tool that raises awareness of the rules.

Local Trading Standards Services are funded solely by local authorities, which are independent from central government. These authorities are responsible for determining their spending priorities and they are accountable to their local electorate. Funding is not ringfenced, so local authorities make decisions according to their individual needs.

The Department provides funding to National Trading Standards (NTS) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), to enable local authorities to take coordinated action specifically on consumer harm issues that cross local authority boundaries; for instance, doorstep crime and mass-marketing scams. We have provided a single enforcement grant of £12,027,000 to National Trading Standards and £1,215,000 to Trading Standards Scotland for financial year 2021/22. We keep the funding needs of both organisations under constant review.

Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are responsible for local Trading Standards services. Local authorities are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate. The budget process of the Scottish and Welsh Governments results in the determination of the local government finance settlement which sets out the government grant. The Department for the Economy funds the Trading Standards Service in Northern Ireland.

The Department provides funding to National Trading Standards (NTS) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), to enable local authorities to take coordinated action specifically on consumer harm issues that cross local authority boundaries; for instance, doorstep crime and mass-marketing scams. We have provided a single enforcement grant of £12,027,000 to National Trading Standards and £1,215,000 to Trading Standards Scotland for financial year 2021/22. We keep the funding needs of both organisations under constant review.

The Department provides funding to National Trading Standards (NTS) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), to enable local authorities to take coordinated action specifically on consumer harm issues that cross local authority boundaries; for instance, doorstep crime and mass-marketing scams. We have provided a single enforcement grant of £12,027,000 to National Trading Standards and £1,215,000 to Trading Standards Scotland for financial year 2021/22. We keep the funding needs of both organisations under constant review.

HM Revenue and Customs already effectively enforces the minimum wage. Since 2015, HMRC has ordered employers to return £100m to 1 million workers who had been underpaid.

The Government have been unequivocal in our commitment to protect and enhance workers’ rights as build back better from the pandemic and to bring forward legislative proposals to better protect vulnerable workers and create a level playing-field for the majority of employers complying with the law.

As laid out in our manifesto, legislating to establish a Single Enforcement Body for employment rights will be a central part of our efforts to achieve this ambition.

We have already made good progress on this by publishing our response to the consultation, which sets out high level proposals for the body. As laid out in our response, this new single enforcement body will bring together three existing bodies: the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Enforcement.

We will bring forward further detailed proposals in due course, and in the meantime continue to work with stakeholders to take necessary action to support businesses and protect jobs.

The Government has committed to expand state enforcement for agency workers to cover umbrella companies and enforcement of holiday pay for vulnerable workers. This will enable inspectors to investigate relevant complaints involving umbrella companies (such as the withholding of holiday pay) and take action where necessary. This will require primary legislation, which the Government will bring forward in due course.

The Government has recently published its consultation response on the single enforcement body for employment rights which sets out the high level remit, powers, and overall approach of the new body. The full government response can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/good-work-plan-establishing-a-new-single-enforcement-body-for-employment-rights.

The body will not specifically cover ‘bogus self-employment’. Employment status is based on the reality of the relationship between an individual and the person for whom services are provided. That might not be the same as what the employment contract states. For disputes around the interpretation of employment law, which are often complex and finely balanced, it is right that Employment Tribunals have the power to determine the result, taking into consideration all of the detail of each individual case to ensure any judgment is the conclusion of a fair and transparent process.

We recognise concerns around employment status and the potential for exploitation and the Government is clear that businesses cannot simply opt out of employment rights. The Government is considering options to bring further clarity around the employment status framework, making it easier for individuals and businesses to understand which rights apply to them.