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Employment Bill [Lords]

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that that is why the tonnage tax was introduced. I am sure that the Minister will comment on the fact that British shipping has been a great success story for the Government. Such issues are often raised as red herrings, and that is why I focused on the examples that I used in raising the issue with the Government. I have specifically focused on ferries, because those that run between Scotland and some of the islands are good examples. If a ferry leaves Ardrossan and goes to Arran, all the workers will be covered by the national minimum wage, but if that ferry leaves Ardrossan and goes to Belfast, they will not be covered. We should address that anomaly, and I hope that the Government will look again at that issue. They are holding detailed discussions with the trade unions that represent some of the work force in those sectors, and I hope that the Government propose a practical solution during the consideration of the Bill.