The main National Minimum Wage for adults aged
21 and over should be increased to £4.10 per hour in October 2001 and to £4.20
per hour in October 2002.
Young People and the Development Rate
Twenty one year olds should be included in the
main National Minimum Wage.
The age coverage of the Development Rate should
be kept under review.
The level of the Development Rate should be
£3.50 per hour in October 2001, and £3.60 per hour in October 2002.
Compliance and Enforcement
There should be further publicity for the headline
rate of the National Minimum Wage as well as for the existence of the enforcement
service and the National Minimum Wage Helpline number.
The Inland Revenue and the Advisory, Conciliation
and Arbitration Service should continue to monitor service to customers at
the boundary between the two organisations and examine the scope for action
to strengthen it.
Implementation Issues
The accommodation offset should be increased
to a maximum weekly amount of £22.75 or £3.25 per day.
The Government should consult representatives
of output workers and their employers to see whether there is a case for a
change in the Regulations on fair estimate agreements.
The Government should ensure the Strategic Commissioning
Group's concordat makes clear that policies on commissioning care, particularly
places in care homes, should reflect the costs of provision.
Future Reviews
Future uprating should be based on recommendations
by the Low Pay Commission resulting from consultation and analysis of a comprehensive
range of factors.
There should be biennial reviews reporting in
February for implementation in the following October.
