Question Time: Finance and Personnel Tuesday 11 November 2014

Pat Sheehan  asked the Finance Minister Simon Hamilton for an assessment of the economic impact of the possible introduction of a living wage.

The minister said any resulting tax receipts would accrue to the Treasury in Westminster, and a living wage for Northern Ireland could be lower than in the rest of the UK.

Pat Sheehan asked whether the minister would commit to "a full and detailed analysis of the living wage on the local economy".

The Minister stated that he did want to see increased wages as it seemed the one place that had yet to feel the effect of the improvements in the economy was "in people's pockets".

He said he had nothing against conducting a study.

Paul Girvan asked about the possibility of including a living wage provision in all public procurement contracts.

The minister said it was likely the contractor would merely push the cost on to the government department, and there were questions about how living wage provisions could be policed.

"It is not something I am pursuing as a policy," he said.

You can see all the questions to the Minister here