Definitions Minimum Purchase Commitment • means the commitment to [purchase the Minimum Quantities OR place Orders with an aggregate minimum Price] as set out at clause 1.1; [Minimum Quantities • has the meaning given to it in [insert schedule];] [Order • means a written order for Products in the form prescribed by this Agreement[ or in any other form that the parties may agree from time to time in writing];] [Price

The earliest age that the rules of a pension scheme allow a member to retire with an immediate pension, other than on grounds of ill health.

Minimum wage describes the lowest hourly pay that most workers are legally entitled to receive from their employer. It is a statutory concept and a core element of employment and labour law compliance.In the UK (England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), the key regime is the National Minimum Wage (NMW), with higher rates for certain workers under the National Living Wage (NLW). The principal legislation is the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and associated regulations, which set enforceable rates by age and status, together with rules on working time, deductions, accommodation offsets and record‑keeping.In Ireland, minimum wage is governed primarily by the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 and related regulations, which similarly prescribe statutory hourly rates, limited exceptions and enforcement mechanisms.Across all these jurisdictions, minimum wage law is policed by state enforcement bodies and through civil claims. Typical legal issues include worker status, calculation of working time, lawful deductions, internships, apprenticeships and collective agreements. Failure to pay the minimum wage can result in arrears, penalties, public naming and, in some cases, criminal liability.

ARCHIVED: This Checklist has been archived and is not maintained. In general, this calculation looks at actual cash flows and payments between the employer and the worker (and vice versa) rather than entitlements. For further information on the different elements of this calculation, see Practice Note: National minimum wage, in particular the section: Checking pay against the minimum. For a checklist summarising the main issues to consider when determining whether or not someone is entitled to receive and receives the minimum wage, see: Minimum wage compliance checklist. Pay = (A + B) - (C + D) where: • (A) is actual payments • (B) is deductions to be added back to the actual payments • (C) is excluded payments and benefits • (D) is deductions to be subtracted from the actual payment (A) Actual payments These are: • actual payments made in the pay reference period (including pay and expenses) • actual payments made in the following pay reference period which are referable to the pay reference period (including pay and expenses) • actual payments

This Checklist summarises the main steps and matters to be considered in determining whether or not someone is entitled to receive and receives the national minimum wage (NMW). It covers eligibility to receive the minimum wage, identifying the pay reference period, calculating a worker’s pay, calculating the number of hours worked by reference to salaried work, time work, output work, and unmeasured work, working out the hourly rate, comparing the hourly rate to the minimum wage, required record keeping and the sharing of information. For further guidance on the NMW generally, see Practice Note: National minimum wage. For information on current NMW rates, see Practice Note: Employment-related statutory rates and limits—National minimum wage (NMW). The government publishes guidance on calculating the minimum wage (which also applies to workers entitled to the National Living Wage). This guidance provides practical advice and examples to explain: • what counts and does not count as pay and working hours for minimum wage purposes • eligibility for the minimum wage • how to calculate the minimum wage • how the government enforces

Commercial analysis: The Court of Appeal provides a helpful reminder of the modern approach to contractual interpretation and its application when considering the meaning of a single provision in a contract between a mining company and a council to fund restoration works when an open cast coal mine closed. The case also illustrates the circumstances in which summary judgment on a point of contractual interpretation is viable. Written by Richard Hanke, barrister at 3 Verulam Buildings.

Mining Mining involves the extraction of minerals and other geological materials of value from the ground. These materials can include: • metals and ores—such as copper, uranium and gold, and • non-metals—such as coal, salt and gravel There are a number of different mining techniques used, including: • strip mining or open cast mining—which involves scraping (or using more intrusive methods such as exploding) away soil and rocks to reach minerals buried near the surface. This accounts for about 40% of the world's coal mines • underground mining—where the minerals are extracted from deeper sources using a variety of methods including: ◦ room and pillar mines ◦ longwall mines • in situ leach mining—where the targeted ore body is dissolved using chemical preparations and then pumped out, leaving minimal surface disturbances • heap leaching—where metals, such as copper or uranium, are extracted from ore using chemical reactions that absorb certain minerals, and which are then re-separated after they have been removed from other materials in the earth. This process is similar

Law360: The equalities watchdog hit out at a government minister on 15 October 2025 over her delay in approving a proposed update to the Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations after the UK Supreme Court ruled on the legal definition of a woman.

In a response to a written question by Labour MP Tom Hayes MP as to whether the government plans to give Ukrainian visa holders humanitarian protection or some other long term status, the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP has announced that the government will be introducing a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) in early 2025. This will grant further permission to remain in the UK, with the same rights and entitlements as provided under the existing Ukraine schemes. This is stated ‘to provide future certainty’ and to continue to provide sanctuary to relevant individuals. The scheme will launch ahead of the first Ukraine scheme visas expiring, with additional details on eligibility and application processes being made available before it opens. The Minister explained that settlement is not being offered to affected persons as the government is respecting the wishes of the Ukrainian government, which ‘has clearly expressed its strong desire for the future return of its citizens to help rebuild Ukraine when it is safe to do so’.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has announced a programme of Whitehall reforms. Beginning in April 2026, a new framework will be implemented across government aimed at reducing bureaucratic approval processes. This initiative follows a pilot at HMRC, which he said cut approval processes from 40 steps to just two.

The Department for Business and Trade has published a response to a letter by the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, requesting further explanation about the Retained EU Law Bill’s effect on equality rights and protections. The response by the Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, Minister for Women & Equalities, confirms that the Retained EU Law Bill does not intend to undermine equality rights and protections, employment rights or maternity rights in the UK.

The Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris MP, has written to the Home Affairs Select Committee updating it on the UK's partnership with France to tackle illegal migration. The update confirms the £662 million multi-year UK-France Border Security Partnership agreed on 23 April 2026 between the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Second, the UK-France Treaty has been extended beyond 11 June 2026 until Autumn 2026 and amended to broaden its scope. Both developments build on progress made since the UK-France Summit in July 2025 and reflect the government's wider commitments.