HC Deb 15 January 2002 vol 378 c148W
David Cairns

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the national minimum wage on the income levels of people in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency. [25425]

Alan Johnson

The national minimum wage has contributed to a significant increase in the wages of people on low pay. According to the New Earnings Survey (NES) 10 per cent. of employees in Inverclyde earned less than £195 per week in 2000 compared with less than £165 in 1998—an increase of around 18 per cent. By comparison, average gross weekly earnings in Great Britain increased by 9 per cent. over the same period from £384.50 to £419.70.