HC Deb 25 April 2001 vol 367 cc296-7W
Dr. Godman

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Greenock and Inverclyde benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage; how many are estimated to benefit from the increase to £4.10; and if he will make a statement. [158599]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 25 April 2001: As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of people in Greenock and Inverclyde who have benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage (NMW), and the number who will benefit from the increase to £4.10. The Office for National Statistics has published estimates of the number of jobs paid at less than NMW rates for 1998, 1999 and 2000. These estimates are based on an improved methodology using data from the New Earnings Survey (NES) and Labour Force Survey (LFS). This methodology provides the best estimates for the number of jobs in the UK paid below low hourly rate thresholds and was developed to overcome the deficiencies inherent in using the NES and LFS separately for measuring low pay. Estimates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions are posted on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/themes/labour_market/nmw_lowpay_tables.asp Estimates for Parliamentary Constituencies of numbers of jobs paid below NMW rates are not available on the basis of the methodology applied for producing the national and regional level figures.