Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of how many people earn exactly the national minimum wage in Scotland.

Using 2013-14 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data, an estimated 85,000 people earn the National Minimum Wage in Scotland.

The most reliable estimate comes from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. However, there are limitations to the survey. In particular, there is limited scope to use the data to identify where the apprentice rate would apply, rather than the equivalent age rate.