HC Deb 04 December 2001 vol 376 c159W
19. Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland benefit from the uprating of the national minimum wage. [17505]

Mr. Foulkes

The increase in the adult national minimum wage to £4.10 per hour and the youth rate to £3.50 from October 2001 is benefiting around 135,000 people across Scotland. The national minimum wage is having a direct and beneficial impact on the pay of the lowest paid workers in Scotland; is helping to close the gap between the highest and lowest earners; and is helping reduce the differential between men's and women's pay. This has been achieved without any discernible adverse impact on the economy.