Domestic Cleaning / Ironer's pay rate here in the UK??

Hi, I would have thought that the national minimum wage would be a reasonable, if not essential starting point. 

A quote from the UK government;  "It doesn't matter how small an employer is, they still have to pay the correct minimum wage."

This is as follows: 
25 yrs and older:   £7.20
21 to 24 yrs:           £6.95
18 to 20 yrs:           £5.55
Under 18:               £4.00

All of the above are the hourly rates of pay.

Thanks for this information. 
I was thinking of purchasing into a International Domestic Cleaning Franchise
Which here in UK pay their cleaning staff £7.20 per hour and I was thinking that was too low. 
Was thinking it'd be more like £8.00 - £10.00 per hour - pending on experience??   
After all; it's the cleaning staff that's the backbone of your business and they work damn hard too! 
I was thinking that you'd need to pay them fairly to keep them content, happy and Loyal from leaving for an extra .50p off another cleaning Company.   There's another Franchise Company that'll let me spy my cleaners whist I feel their worth.  We want each of our cleaning crew to feel their valued by both their client as well; by me!   Thanks for your information above.  Very much appreciated.

You are welcome!

Of course in paying £8.00 to £10 per hour, you have to consider the costs that will be passed on to the customer, which would be at least £1 per hour more than other operators who may pay minimum wage.

People looking for a cleaning service will look carefully at cost, particularly with the current background of cost of living increases.

Ever so true Longonto62;
I'll be buying into a very successful
Domestic Cleaning, Ironing and Housekeeping Franchise! 
So I'll be guided; but I've got to choose their Income myself. 
However, I've chosen this particular Franchise because it's won numerous Franchise Awards including 1 from the BFA - British Franchise Association to which only few Franchises belong - due to it's high entry qualifications.  So I know their already the best and they value their Housekeepers with a decent hourly pay plus they receive Holiday Leave / Vacation Pay etc.   

So with their extensive New Franchisee Training program; I'm sure wages will be covered and comparisons provided too?   Thx for your informative post.