§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the national minimum wage on inflation. [99633]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Monetary Policy Committee is charged with setting interest rates to ensure the Government's inflation target of 2.5 per cent. is met, and hence the introduction of a National Minimum Wage is not expected to have any material effect on inflation.