10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE

Early day motion 1163, tabled 24 March 2009 by Lord Blunkett (Labour). Signed by 124 members.

That this House welcomes the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the National Minimum Wage on 1 April 2009; applauds the fact that employees in more than one million jobs have benefited, two-thirds of them women; believes that annual uprating and effective enforcement are the key to its continued success; regards the current economic climate as an opportunity to increase the spending power of the low paid; calls for an end to discriminatory lower age rates for young workers; and further calls on the Low Pay Commission and Government to end the exemption of some apprenticeships from the national minimum wage.

Signatures by party: Labour 104, Liberal Democrat 17, Independent 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UUP 1.