§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in London had their pay increased on implementation of the minimum wage. [154948]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Ms Harriet Harman, dated 26 March 2001:
As National Statistician, I have been asked I to reply to your recent question about the number of people in London who had their pay increased on implementation of the national minimum wage (NMW) (154948).
The Office for National Statistics has published estimates of the number of jobs paid at less than NMW rates for 1998, 1999, 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. Estimates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions, including London, are posted on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/themes/ labour_market/nmw_lowpay_tables.asp
The new methodology has been developed to overcome the deficiencies inherent in the two surveys, the NES and LFS, in measuring low pay.