British government has approved rise of the minimum wage for adults to more than 6.19 pounds (9.84 U.S. dollars) an hour, said the News Distribution Service for Government and Public Sector on Monday.

The increase of the minimum wage, entering into force on October 1, 2012, came as result of the independent Low Pay Commission's (LPC) recommendations for this year's National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates.

According to the new policy, the adult wage rate will increase by 11p to 6.19 pounds an hour; while that for 18-20 year olds, to remain at 4.98 pounds an hour; for 16-17 year olds, to still keep at 3.68 pounds an hour; and for apprentices, to increase by 5p to 2.65 pounds an hour.

"I believe that the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission strike the right balance between pay and jobs, and have therefore accepted all the rate recommendations," said British Business Secretary Vince Cable, taking note of LPC's "good job" in difficult circumstances.

LPC, established following the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and consisted of representatives from all sides of industry, makes recommendations to the Government in its annual report.

Britain's Consumer Price Index (CPI), a major gauge for inflation, stood at 3.6 percent in January, according to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONE).

Although the CPI rate in Britain hit a 14-month low, the inflation rate is still above the 2 percent target set by the central bank, the Bank of England.

The rise in the minimum wage is much more in line with the average increase in earnings, which rose by 1.4 percent over the year to January, as demonstrated by the official figures.