UK's Hunt says minimum wage to rise by 9.7% from April

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said the country's minimum wage would be increased by 9.7% to 10.42 pounds per hour from April next year, as part of wider measures to help people with a cost-of-living crisis when he set out a budget plan.

"I am accepting the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission to increase it next year by 9.7%. That means, from April 2023, the hourly rate will be 10.42 pounds which represents an annual pay rise worth over 1,600 pounds to a full time worker," Hunt told parliament on Thursday. (Reporting by David Milliken and Kylie MacLellan, writing by Muvija M; editing by Michael Holden)