Employment Bill [HL]

There are two points as I understand them. First, I should not have included the repeal of Section 34; the objection to that is somewhat technical, and I do not propose to delay Members any further in Committee on that point. I am quite happy if that is left out. I am not happy if the good idea that the Government had in 2001 in Section 30, which they did not bring into force, as I understand it, because they began to understand the objections that we made to the content of the procedures that they were bringing in in the 2001 Bill, as it then was, is any reason at all for not using that device now. The fact that the Government had a good idea and then bad content to fill it up with suggests that they should use their good idea now and not propose—because this is what is involved—that the Bill should do nothing at all about this area of dispute procedures, which they simply leave as a void. The Minister said that there will be a better telephone helpline, and we are very pleased to hear that. He says that there will be more conciliation. Our support for ACAS in previous amendments should suggest that we are very pleased to hear that, although ACAS adapts its procedures with conciliation and with mediation, which is very different from conciliation, with arbitration, where that is helpful, and with a special scheme introduced in 2001 for alternative dispute resolution, although in fact that has not been a great success. We are very pleased to hear all that, but what we are asking is—is there no contribution at all that the Bill can make to this area? Apparently not. No floor of procedures is to be even suggested in the Bill, except in the normal case that the ACAS code of practice can be taken into account. We want an obligation that employers should accept the basis of the ACAS code, and that is why we thought it was rather a nice thing to congratulate the Government on their good idea and adapt it, with the ACAS code being the floor of rights from which everyone proceeds. I can see that the Government do not want this Bill to contribute to the law on the matter. We will consider this again before Report, because it seems to me at least that the matter should have rather wider discussion than is possible in this Grand Committee, where no decisions can be taken anyway. Therefore, it is sensible for me to beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 1 agreed to. [Amendments Nos. 4 and 5 not moved.] Clause 2 agreed to.