§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what analysis he has made of the studies produced since 18 February 1993 which show a positive link between the existence of statutory minimum pay rates and the loss of or failure to create jobs; and of studies which show the reverse effect or no effect at all.
§ Mr. OppenheimRecent reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Monetary Fund support the Government's position that minimum wages cost jobs. This view was also acknowledged in the European Commission's White Paper on competitiveness. Studies by Machin and Manning which suggest otherwise have been criticised on the grounds of their approach.