Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 31 January 2017.
You’re right, First Minister, there are a number of ways that unscrupulous employers can exploit workers, but this question of the minimum wage is a key one. Last time I looked, HMRC only employed six people to enforce the national minimum wage, and it’s clearly not a priority for the UK Government. There have been minimal prosecutions in recent years, and that was the case under the previous Labour Government as well, it’s fair to say. Will you join me in condemning in the strongest possible terms those politicians who seek to peddle myths about the reasons behind people’s wages being squeezed, because while we are pointing at migrants instead of the Government’s inaction towards rogue employers, we are letting the real culprits off the hook? And will you also commit to this Assembly today to let us know what Welsh Government resources you’ll be able to identify to stop this exploitation so that enforcement and, if necessary, the naming and shaming of rogue employers, can take place?