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Treasury;Office for National Statistics

Answer

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) employees and (b) women in Witney have had their pay increased as a result of the minimum wage. [158123] Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Shaun Woodward, dated 24 April 2001: As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of employees and women in Witney who have had their pay increased as a result of the national minimum wage (NMW) (158123). The Office for National Statistics has published estimates of the number of jobs paid at less than NMW rates for 1998, 1999, and 2000. These include estimates for the UK broken down by gender. 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 and was developed to overcome the deficiencies inherent in using the NES and LFS separately for measuring low pay. Estimates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions are posted on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/themes/labour-market/nmw-lowpay- tables.asp Estimates for Parliamentary Constituencies of numbers of jobs paid below NMW rates are not available on the basis of the methodology applied for producing the national and regional level figures.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

158123; 367 c228W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Pay Minimum wage Witney

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk