§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans he has to help businesses overcome problems relating to new regulations as a result of the introduction of the national minimum wage; [59860]
(2) what effort he is making to overcome the fears of the business community of being overloaded by new regulations at the introduction of the national minimum wage next year. [59859]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyWe have based our approach to the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and the draft Regulations on the Better Regulation Unit's five key criteria of transparency, accountability, targeting, consistency and proportionality. We consulted and involved the business community at all stages and will provide detailed guidance for employers once the Regulations have been approved by Parliament.