Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 (Amendment) Regulations 2002 and shall come into force on 1st October 2002.

(2) In these Regulations, “the principal regulations” means the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999(2).

Amendments to the principal regulations

2.  In regulation 11(3) of the principal regulations (the rate of the national minimum wage), for “£4.10” substitute “£4.20”.

3.  In regulation 13 of the principal regulations (rate for workers who qualify for the national minimum wage at a different rate)—

(a)in paragraph (1)(4), for “£3.50” substitute “£3.60”, and

(b)in paragraph (2) (5), for “£3.50” substitute “£3.60”.

4.  After regulation 14 of the principal regulations insert—

“Determining the applicable national minimum rate

14A.  The hourly rate at which a worker is entitled to be remunerated in respect of his work in any pay reference period is the rate, prescribed by regulations, that is in force on the first day of that period.”.

Revocation provision

5.  The regulations specified in the first column of the Schedule to these Regulations are hereby revoked to the extent specified in the second column thereof.

Regulation 5

SCHEDULEREVOCATIONS

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which amend the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 (“the principal regulations”) and come into force on 1st October 2002, increase the minimum hourly rate of the national minimum wage from £4.10 to £4.20. They also increase the rate to be paid to those (including workers aged between 18 and 21 inclusive) who qualify for the national minimum wage at a different rate, from £3.50 to £3.60.

The Regulations further amend the principal regulations by inserting a new regulation 14A, which provides that the rate of the national minimum wage to which a worker is entitled in any pay reference period (which is defined in regulation 10 of the principal regulations) is the rate in force on the first day of that period.

The Regulations contain a revocation provision which revokes previous provisions which increased the minimum hourly rate of the national minimum wage.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment of the estimated costs and benefits of the rate increases has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament. Copies are available to the public from Employment Relations, P&S, Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET and on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk.