§ Ms Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the number of companies in Wales which are not paying the minimum wage. [123935]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonThe Government have asked the Low Pay Commission to assess the impact of the minimum wage. Their Second Report, published on 15 February, said early indications were that the vast majority of businesses throughout the UK were meeting their obligations to pay the national minimum wage and that the Inland Revenue had made a successful start to enforcement. As at the end of April 2000, minimum wage compliance offices have dealt with 204 cases of suspected underpayment of the national minimum wage in Wales.