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