New iPad mini has iOS 6

Yes. You will need to register the iPad, then visit the App store and the iWork apps should be available for free download.

Nice mum by the way. I hope you thanked her!

If I buy the last model iPad mini brand new and it has ios 6 installed on it already will I be able to activate ios 6 or will I be forced to install ios 7 first? I really need ios 6.1.3...

You can activate it on the current iOS. You don't need to upgrade for anything if you don't want to.

Are you sure you want to upgrade with all the problems that so many are having since ios 7 came out? I'm sure millions have upgraded with no problems, but take a look back on this forum to Sept. when ios 7 was released up to the present.

I just quoted this old adage to someone else here - 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

Hope this helps.

Why should he or she do that? There have been 4 iOS updates since September. Current forum posts are a better indicator of the state of iOS 7 and the iPad mini seems to do quite ok with iOS 7.