ON Saturday we applauded York’s continued status as a fair-trade city, standing up against exploitation of people living in poverty around the world.

It is therefore pleasing to report today how York Teaching Hospital is doing its bit for fairness by introducing the new rate of living wage.

We think the living wage is a laudable ideal, although not one that will always be possible to achieve for small businesses or those under financial stress. We are pleased to see York leading the way.

This was the first city outside London with a high concentration of businesses signing up to be living wage employers and it set another milestone in June when Nestlé became the country's first major manufacturer to say it will pay the rate to all its staff.

So it is good that the hospital is also leading by example in making sure its lower-paid workers, many of whom have very difficult and demanding jobs, are paid the living wage for their efforts.