National Minimum Wage

HC Deb 05 May 2004 vol 420 c1640W

Mr. Hendrick

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers in Preston have benefited from the national minimum wage. [169671]

Mr. Sutcliffe

It is not possible to provide estimates specifically for the constituency of Preston. However, based on the Office for National Statistics' Low Pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that around 140,000 people in the North West stood to benefit from the introduction of the National Minimum Wage in April 1999. Between 130,000 and 160,000 people were expected to have benefited from the October 2003 uprating of the National Minimum Wage.

Mr. Neil Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers in Wigan have benefited from the national minimum wage. [169318]

Mr. Sutcliffe

It is not possible to provide estimates specifically for the constituency of Wigan. However, based on the Office for National Statistics' Low Pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that around 140,000 people in the North West stood to benefit from the introduction of the national minimum wage in April 1999. Between 130,000 and 160,000 people were expected to have benefited from the October 2003 uprating of the national minimum wage.