Minimum wage

That this House notes that 18-20 year olds get paid a minimum wage that’s 85 per cent of the adult rate; further notes that the Labour Party’s 2024 manifesto committed to closing the gap on pay for 18 to 20-year-olds; is concerned that the new minimum wage increases announced in the Autumn 2026 budget fail to close the pay gap faced by young people, with 18-to-20-year-olds set to receive a minimum of £11.27 an hour from next financial year, while over-20s will be paid a minimum of £13.21 an hour; is further concerned that the young people’s rate falls below the new living wage rate of £13.21 an hour; also notes research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that the UK is on course for the biggest decline in living standards since modern records began in 1961; is committed to equality and fairness for young people, and to building a better future for and with them; and calls on the Government to keep its commitment to closing the pay gap for 18-20-year-olds without delay, and to also bring forward measures designed to better support employers to employ and train young people and to protect against a higher minimum wage rate potentially limiting employment opportunities for young people.