Compensation Bill [HL]

It is a smallish number of companies, but trade unions are not included in that. They are not companies. I am describing commercial companies, of which we think that there are about 500 involved. The noble Lord is right to seek clarification, which we propose to do, about precisely who will be determined within regulation. Members of the Committee will have the opportunity to look at that. The critical issue on the breadth of the definition is that by capturing people and organisations in this way, should a point come when we need to regulate in another part of this sector the particular concerns that we have, we have the power to do it quickly, which Members of the Committee have urged me on and we have addressed in this way. Of course the noble Lord is right that it will be increasingly important to be clear about precisely who comes under the definition. It will be through affirmative regulations that we will do that.