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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to prevent reductions in bonuses, shifts and bank holiday pay for employees before the implementation of the national living wage.

The National Living Wage represents a significant step up for the lowest paid in society. On current forecasts, a full-time minimum wage worker will earn almost £4,200 more per year by 2020 compared to the current minimum wage. It is for individual businesses to decide exactly how to respond to the introduction of the National Living Wage, appropriate to their circumstances. But any changes to contractual pay should be discussed and agreed with workers in advance.