Employment Bill [HL]

I offer my support to the amendment moved with such skill by my noble friend Lady Perry. I am sure that the absence of my noble friend Lady Gardner is not frivolous. We all know that she is not a frivolous person in the way in which she treats Grand Committee. She makes a very serious point in trying to strengthen Section 33 of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996, formerly the Industrial Tribunals Act. I confess that I ought to be able to remember with slightly greater detail Section 33, as I presume I must have been the Minister who took it through in 1996, but it is not a section that has stuck fast in my mind. No doubt the Minister will be able to assist me, after some 12 years, and remind me further about that section when he responds. A full response would be useful so that my noble friend Lady Gardner can decide what to do on Report. As my noble friend Lady Perry has put the matter, she is not totally wedded to the word ““frivolous”” but feels that there is a case for some strengthening of the words of the 1996 Act by adding something after ““vexatious”” and certainly adding something after the word ““persistently””. She has come up with the words ““frivolous”” and ““frivolously””. The Government may have a better suggestion.