Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to raise the rate of the national minimum wage for people under 25 to the rate of the national living wage.

The priority for younger workers is to secure work and gain experience so that they can compete in the labour market.

The wages of younger workers will continue to be underpinned by the National Minimum Wage as recommended by the Low Pay Commission at the highest possible level without costing jobs.

Earlier this year the Government accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations to increase rate for 21-24 year olds to £6.95 per hour - the largest single increase in the main rate of the NMW since 2008 in cash terms.