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Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [Lords]

The Minister is right in so far as the Government's beer-and-sandwiches deal is separate from the private Member's Bill that was pulled today. However, he should tell the full story, and reveal that the CBI described his deal as the ““least worst option””. We need to get to the bottom of the extent to which it is the worst option. The House has not been told what will be the impact on British business of his proposed deal with the unions, and he should tell us that at the earliest opportunity. The private Member's Bill was never about defending workers from exploitation, as the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston announced at Prime Minister's questions earlier today. That is covered by existing legislation, and it will also be covered by the Employment Bill, which the Government are separately bringing before the House. What we have opposed and will continue to oppose is a one-size-fits-all straitjacket of regulations that will destroy the flexibility that is key to the British workplace. Given that more than 90 per cent. of businesses are small and that large sections of the Bill could make things worse for them, we do not believe that the net effect of this Bill will necessarily be good for business. Therefore, although we will not oppose the Bill today, if it becomes clear in Committee that our concerns are justified, we will have no hesitation in voicing our opposition at the appropriate stage.