Written question asked by Lindsay Roy (Labour) on Thursday, 11 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 16 March 2010. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Thursday, 8 April 2010 on behalf of the Treasury.

Low Incomes

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to address the matter of low pay.

Answer: [holding answer 16 March 2010]: I have been asked to reply.The Government introduced the national minimum wage (NMW) in April 1999 to ensure a decent minimum rate of pay for all employees. In October 2010, the adult NMW rate will rise to £5.93 per hour. Table 5.1 in Budget 2010 shows the minimum income guaranteed by the combination of working and child tax credits and the NMW once the new rate comes into effect. A family with one child and one person working 35 hours a week will receive a minimum income of £310 per week, a 27 per cent. increase in real terms since April 1999.

Secondary information