Employment Bill [HL]

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 2. I shall also speak to Amendment No. 4. Amendment No. 2 addresses an issue raised in the Vulnerable Worker Enforcement Forum’s report, which was published together with the Government’s response in August. Once the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has started an inspection, it is currently a criminal offence to disclose information obtained during that inspection. Inspectors therefore cannot inform Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, which enforces the national minimum wage, if they come across indicators of non-compliance with the minimum wage. This legal restriction on minimum wage officers being able to share information also means that they are not able to inform employment agency inspectors of details of non-compliant employers in order for inspectors to follow up possible non-compliance issues with the employment agency legislation. Amendment No. 2 would remove these barriers to information sharing between those who enforce the national minimum wage and those who enforce employment agency legislation. Amendment No. 4 provides for Amendment No. 2 to be commenced by order. Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 2.—(Lord Carter of Barnes.)