Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 April 1999.
I do not recognise the hon. Gentleman's estimate. What I do know is that the claimant count in Scotland now is the lowest since 1976. That is an achievement by this Government which people in Scotland widely recognise. The national minimum wage is an important part of the Government's strategy to target poverty and to achieve a fairer society in Scotland, and we shall continue to develop and build on those policies.