§ Mr. PondTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will carry out an assessment of the impact of her Department's current policies on the(a) income, (b) employment opportunities and (c) living standards, of the poorest 30 per cent. of the population. [23343]
§ Mrs. BeckettMy Department's policies aim to support the endeavours of business to become as competitive as possible in order to generate higher levels of income and living standards and good jobs and opportunities for all of our people. My department is also working to ensure that the benefits of growth and prosperity are widely shared by, for example, promoting regional competitiveness and through the introduction of a national minimum wage.