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National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (Amendment) Regulations 2007

I obviously welcome the regulations, which relate to the National Minimum Wage Act 1998. I think that I am probably the only Member of the Committee who was involved in the debate on that Bill, so I well remember the arguments that ensued. It was a controversial Bill. Two points emerge from the regulations. The first point, which was significantly made by the then Conservative Party spokesman, was that the implementation of the national minimum wage would at best decimate and at worst destroy British industry. I am delighted to hear from the thrust of the noble Baroness’s question that clearly her party no longer takes that position. I would like to share her question and I look forward to the answer. Clearly, if we are to have a national minimum wage it needs to be, first, supported and, secondly, enforced fairly. The second point where I am not sure that in 1998 the Government and our Benches were entirely ad idem was that we moved a number of amendments to ensure that the national minimum wage could be determined only by the Low Pay Commission, and that there should be no governmental discretion in it as we thought it important that this should be taken out of party politics. I am very pleased with the noble Lord’s comment that £5.52 for £5.35 is in line with the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission. Will the Minister remind us whether on every occasion in the past nine years the national minimum wage increase has been in accordance with the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission?