To ask the President of the Board of Trade what (a) published and (b) unpublished estimates her Department has made of the impact on employment of a national minimum wage set at (a) £3.50, (b) £4.00 and (c) £4.42 per hour. [5616]

[holding answer 27 June 1997]: We will ask the independent Low Pay Commission, before it reaches a recommendation on the level at which the national minimum wage might be set, to take into account all economic circumstances, including its likely impact. I will not speculate about the possible effects of hypothetical levels before the Commission has had a chance to consider the issues. Professor George Bain will chair the Commission and we are currently looking to recruit other suitably qualified members, including individuals with experience of the range of industries and services likely to be affected by the introduction of the national minimum wage.