HC Deb 31 July 1998 vol 317 cc772-3W
Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the minimum wage on inflation levels. [54108]

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the wage inflation implications of the minimum wage. [54454]

Mr. Mandelson

The Government do not believe that the decisions they have taken on the National Minimum Wage will have an adverse effect on inflation.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department will publish forecasts on employment levels of the impact of the introduction of the minimum wage. [54453]

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if his Department will now publish forecasts of the jobs impact of the minimum wage; [54245]

(2) what assessment his Department has made of the different employment impacts in different regions of the United Kingdom of the introduction of the minimum wage. [54936]

Mr. Ian Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish his Department's forecasts of the effect on jobs of the minimum wage. [54514]

Mr. Ian McCartney

I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 23 June 1998,Official Report, column 473.

Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the timetable for the planned implementation of the national minimum wage legislation. [54032]

Mr. Ian McCartney

In her statement announcing the Government's response to the Low Pay Commission's recommendations on 18 June 1998,Official Report, column 507, the then President of the Board of Trade announced that the National Minimum Wage would be implemented from April 1999.

Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies he has carried out into the indirect impact of implementation of the national minimum wage on wage differentials. [54670]

Mr. Ian McCartney

The Government share the view of the Low Pay Commission that at the rate it is proposed to set the National Minimum Wage any impact on pay differentials should be limited. There is little empirical evidence to suggest that a minimum wage set at a sensible level, as we have done, should cause workers to press for restoration of differentials.