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Employment Bill [HL]

I had not intended to intrude on this issue. I only do so because the noble Baroness, Lady Wilcox, referred to the Race Relations Act. I should know the answer to this question—I was one of the Act’s architects—but I do not. On the basis of the brief she was given, the noble Baroness said that the Race Relations Act would apply to employment and terms and conditions on foreign ships outside the territorial waters of this country. I remember that there was an exemption excluding the Race Relations Act from foreign ships and from employment outside our territorial waters but I cannot remember, for which I apologise, whether or not that exclusion was in turn removed. I mention this only because it was raised by the noble Baroness and because, as those Members of the Committee interested in the history of this will remember, there was an ignominious history of what were called Lascars—Asian seamen—being treated appallingly badly a long time ago, not only in their wages but even in their living conditions. They were kept in tiny boxes on boats and were therefore discriminated against on the basis of race. I would not expect the Minister’s advisers to know the answer now, but I hope that the answer could be given before Report.