FAILURE TO PAY MINIMUM WAGE

That this House believes that many employers are avoiding paying even the minimum wage of £6.19 an hour; understands that there are only eight HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) compliance officers for the whole of Greater London and just 93 nationally; considers this to be totally inadequate to the problem; and demands that the Government provide sufficient resources to do the job properly and considers removing the responsibility from HMRC and passing it on to local authorities with the same powers they possess for environmental health, including the ability to perform spot checks and to interview staff.