Employment Bill [Lords]

I appreciate the point made by the hon. Gentleman. As we have discussed on previous occasions, it is not just ferry workers who are affected by the exemptions, but those working in the fishing industry and those who supply the offshore oil industry. I ask the Government to look at the issue again. It was a commitment in our 1997 manifesto, so as a matter of principle we should look at the exemptions to the national minimum wage and do everything we can to close them. The reality is that the national minimum wage has been one of the most effective measures in fighting poverty and inequality in this country, and the Bill provides a real opportunity to close the loopholes that remain.