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Government Regulation

The hon. Gentleman reinforces the point that some regulation is necessary to safeguard employees. It was the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague)—a former leader of the Conservative party—who took the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 through Parliament. It imposes a considerable additional regulatory burden on business. In my former life as an employment lawyer, I received plenty of money from businesses seeking advice on how to implement that Conservative legislation, which increased the burden on business. Surely we are not arguing, however, that the framework of that legislation—the protection that it gave to disabled people—is wrong. It may well be possible to simplify the rules for the benefit of both the citizen and the employer, but the case for regulation in that sphere is surely not seriously challenged.