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Pay

Answer

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) supports the living wage and encourages businesses to pay it when it is affordable and not at the expense of jobs.

Our primary policy for supporting the low paid is the national minimum wage which is carefully set at a level that maximises wages without damaging employment prospects. In addition, in order to raise living standards we are focused on increasing employment and cutting taxes by raising the personal allowance to £10,000 from April 2014 and will have taken 2.7 million people out of income tax altogether by 2014-15.

There are no direct BIS employees paid less than the living wage, either nationally or in London.

The Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract is with EC Harris who sub-contract operational delivery to Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW). This operational delivery of FM services utilises a dedicated team of nearly 400 employees. As of November 2013 there were 103 employees working for less than the London living wage within London and the South East and 239 employees working for less than the national living wage across the national estate. BaxterStorey, who manage BIS catering, do not pay the London living wage (LLW) to those working within the BIS estate.

On the basis of fairness and current affordability, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has instructed the Department to raise the wages of the lowest paid contracted staff working at BIS premises across the UK. We hope to report progress

with implementing this by spring 2014. This is part of BIS' overall policy to try to increase living standards for its lowest paid staff.

I have approached the chief executives of the Department's Executive agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from John Alty, dated 23 January 2014:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on the 22 January 2014, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Intellectual Property Office is an Executive Agency and Trading Fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. It does not have any employees or contracted workers being paid less than the living wage.

Letter from Sarah Glasspool, dated 23 January 2014:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO), an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 22 January 2014, asking the BIS Secretary of State (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department (ii) agencies of his Department and (iii) contractors of his Department are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

Except for one Apprentice, representing 1.2% of staff employed, NMO does not have any direct employees or contractors paid less that the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

Letter from Tim Moss, dated 23 January 2014:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 22 January 2014, UIN 184437 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

None of Companies House's staff are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

Letter from David Parker, dated 23 January 2014:

Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department, (ii) agencies of his Department and (Hi) contractors of his Department are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

The UK Space Agency was formed on 1st April 2011. There are (a) no staff, and (b) no proportion of staff employed by (ii) the UK Space Agency or (iii) contractors of the UK Space Agency who are paid less that the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

Letter from Vanessa Lawrence, dated 23 January 2014:

As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, “(a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department, (ii) agencies of his Department and (iii) contractors of his Department are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage”.

Ordnance Survey has no employees, either staff members or contractors, who are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

Should you have any further questions, please let me know.

I hope this information is helpful.

Letter from John Hirst, dated 24 January 2014:

I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 22 January 2014, UIN 184437 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

There are currently 3 employees at the Met Office on temporary placements who are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage, which represents 0.15 per cent

of the workforce. Paid placement opportunities at the Met Office are generally offered to interns who have just completed the first year of A' levels, current undergraduates or those who have completed their studies.

I hope this helps.

Letter from Barbara Spicer, dated 23 January 2014:

Thank you for your question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department, (ii) agencies of his Department and (iii) contractors of his Department are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage. (184437)

Please be advised that based on our January 2014 data the Skills Funding Agency has 1290 employees in the organisation and 32 of these are apprentices.

No direct employees and contracted workers of the Skills Funding Agency are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Our 32 apprentices which equates to 2.5% of our workforce are all paid above the National Minimum wage, albeit below the level set by the Living Wage Foundation.

I hope this satisfactorily addresses your question. If you have any follow up queries, please let me know.

Letter from Ed Lester, dated 24 January 2014:

I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 184437 tabled on 22 January 2014 which asked the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department, (ii) agencies of his Department and (iii) contractors of his Department are paid less than the fate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

I can confirm that no staff or contractors employed by Land Registry are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage foundation as a living wage.

I hope that you find this information useful.

Letter from Richard Judge, dated 27 January 2014:

The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department, (ii) agencies of his , Department and (iii) contractors of his Department are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage. My response relates to the Insolvency Service, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Insolvency Service currently has no employees who earn less than the living wage. There are presently 25 agency workers who earn less than the living wage. This represents 15% of the total number of agency workers and contractors currently assigned to the Insolvency Service. In accordance with the Agency Workers' Regulations, if these 25 agency workers' assignments with the Insolvency Service reach 12 weeks' duration, they will be paid a rate greater than the living wage.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

184437; 574 cc505-7W

Session

2013-14

Subjects

Pay Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk