Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of removing minimum pay age bands for the National Minimum Wage on youth (a) inactivity and (b) unemployment.

In April 2025, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for workers aged 18 to 20, workers under 18, and apprentices will increase significantly – narrowing the gap between those rates and the National Living Wage.

The impact of wage levels on youth employment and on incentives to remain in education and training is a key consideration of the Low Pay Commission when it makes recommendations. This Government is committed to removing pay bands in a way that does not have a detrimental impact, and the Impact Assessment for annual rises will consider this issue.