Minimum Wage

Dr. Kumar
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Department has considered implementing a higher minimum wage in areas where the overall cost of living is higher.

Jim Fitzpatrick
There are no plans to set different minimum wage rates for different areas or regions. There are often greater variations in pay within regions than between regions, and this would be complex to monitor and enforce. Single national rates are less bureaucratic and more easily understood for all concerned.