§ Mr. PondTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list in domestic currency the statutory national minimum wage, or the lowest minimum wage established on the basis of legally binding sectoral or industry agreements, in each European Union state and in the United States of America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada; and if she will list the equivalent of each of these amounts as an hourly rate in pounds sterling(a) on the basis of current exchange rages and (b) at purchasing power parity exchange rates. [12214]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyThe information requested about wages is not routinely collected by my Department; all the latest figures available to me are set out in the table below.
Hourly rate3 in Sterling at Country Minimum wage in national currency Current exchange rate1 PPP exchange rate2 Belgium 44165 BFr Monthly 4.20 4.76 Canada C$5 Hourly 2.17 2.75 France 6406 FFr Monthly 3.75 3.94 Greece 5746 Dr Daily 1.52 2.19 Japan Y 4969 Daily 3.19 2.43 Luxembourg 46275 LFr Monthly 4.25 4.53 Netherlands 2244 FI Monthly 3.96 4.44 New Zealand NZ$6.25 Hourly 2.45 2.78 Portugal 58883 Es Monthly 1.09 1.80 Spain 2279 Pta Daily 1.19 1.62 USA $4.75 Hourly 2.85 3.19 1 Current Rates as at 25 July 1996. 2 PPP exchange rates for 1996 from OECD Main Economic Indicators July 1997. 3 Converted to hourly rates using results from the European Labour Force Survey 1995 published by Eurostat, except Japan were results from ILO "Conditions of Work Digest" are used.