Employment Bill [HL]

The noble Baroness talks about us making this more convenient, but it is a ridiculous system where all the compliance officers are able to do is to go to somebody’s premises. If there is no copier there they cannot copy anything. If a great deal of information is needed and they do not have the time to do it—because presumably the employer would have to stay much later than otherwise and the officers would not have the time anyway—it is a matter of convenience so that enforcement action can be taken. What the noble Baroness should not forget is that there are, I am afraid, a very small minority of employers who will do everything that they possibly can to obstruct being found out that they have not paid the national minimum wage. I do not think that anyone could argue that what is being proposed in Clause 10 is a great attack on civil liberties or a great increase in executive power.