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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to raise the minimum wage to (a) at least £10 an hour or (b) a real living wage as calculated by the Living Wage Foundation.

The Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. Through the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the National Living Wage (NLW) the Government protects the lowest paid within our society.

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) is an independent and expert body which makes annual recommendations on the appropriate rates for NMW and NLW and other low pay related issues. They will continue to recommend the path of the NLW going forward, aiming to increase the NLW to two-thirds of median earnings by 2024, provided economic conditions allow.