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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's campaign launched on 27 February 2017 to increase low paid workers' knowledge of national minimum and national living wage rights, what involvement trade unions will have in raising awareness of that campaign.

The Government’s National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage campaign is targeted at all those eligible to receive the rates ahead of the increases on 1 April, 2017. In addition, we are targeting workers in key sectors which employ more people on the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage and Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers, who are disproportionately low paid and less aware of the rates. Messages are targeted through advertising on a range of different media channels across the UK which the audience is most likely to listen to or read.

These channels are: Radio, regional newspapers, online media titles, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), and outdoor poster sites. In addition, we will also be advertising on radio stations which have a predominantly BAME audience, and reaching out with messaging via local authorities and community groups.

The advertising for the Government’s National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage campaign is produced in the English language. We will be providing some material in the Welsh language.

As part of the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage campaign, the Government is working with a broad range of stakeholders, representing both employers and employees. This includes working with a number of the unions. They have to date provided statements in association with campaign press notices. The unions have also been invited to share campaign materials with their members highlighting the rate increase on 1 April 2017.