§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning estimates of the impact of the minimum wage in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [112020]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had the opportunity to discuss the findings of the Low Pay Commission's report on the impact of the national minimum wage with the First Secretary. The report confirms that the introduction of the minimum wage has helped take over 1.5 million low-paid workers throughout the United Kingdom out of the trap of poverty wages. As in the other parts of the United Kingdom, many thousands of workers in Wales have benefited.