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National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 (Amendment) Regulations 2009

I thank the Minister for introducing the regulations, which, at least in respect of the annual uprating, we debate each year. Before dealing with the annual uprating, I should say that we on these Benches welcome the fact that, in the hospitality industry, no deduction for tips will be made for purposes of assessing whether the minimum wage has been met. The old practice seemed to us to be unfair. On the annual uprating, is the Minister aware of reports that people are being asked in the Government’s own jobcentres if they will accept wages below the national minimum wage? If such reports are true, do they not make a bit of a nonsense of the process, and are the Government taking any action on this? Lastly, I would be interested to know what the Government would do if the Low Pay Commission—which has, after all, said that pressures on average earnings are on the downside and that forecast earnings in the fourth quarters of both 2009 and 2010 could prove optimistic—was in future to recommend a reduction in the minimum wage?