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New reporting deadline for the Low Pay Commission

LOW PAY COMMISSION News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 22 January 2009

In its current remit, issued in March 2008, the Government asked the Low Pay Commission to report to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) by the end of February 2009. On 14 January 2009, the Commission wrote to the Secretary of State for Business asking for an extension to this deadline. The Secretary of State has agreed to this request and the Commission will now report to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Business by 1 May 2009.

Commenting on the extension, Professor Sir George Bain, Chairman of the Commission, said:

"The Low Pay Commission has always based its recommendations on research, evidence and analysis of economic data. This year, the National Minimum Wage faces up to its first recession. By delaying its report until 1 May, the Commission will have access to two month's additional data, including the Bank of England's next Inflation Report, employee jobs figures for December 2008, GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2008 and updates on average earnings. The delay will not have an impact on the planned date for implementation of the new rates, 1 October 2009."

Note to Editors

1. The Low Pay Commission is a statutory body whose role is to advise the Government on the National Minimum Wage.

2. The Commission has produced nine reports. These are available from the Stationery Office Bookshops or the Commission's website at: http://www.lowpay.gov.uk

3. The members of the Low Pay Commission are: George Bain (Chairman), government adviser and industrial relations specialist; Susan Anderson, Director of Public Services for the CBI; Professor Bob Elliott, Professor of Economics and Director of the Health Economics Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen; Neil Goulden, Chief Executive of the Gala Coral Group; John Hannett, General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers; Ian Hay OBE, Chairman, Food Trade Association Management; Professor Stephen Machin, Professor of Economics at University College London; Frances O'Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary and Heather Wakefield, Head of Local Government, UNISON.

4. The National Minimum Wage for those over 21 is £5.73 per hour. For those aged 18 to 21 the rate is £4.77 per hour. The minimum wage for 16 and 17 year olds is £3.53 an hour.

Low Pay Commission
6th Floor
Kingsgate House
66-74 Victoria Street
LONDON
SW1E 6SW
http://www.lowpay.gov.uk