Private Equity (Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment) Bill

That is true; I agree with my hon. Friend. People forget that a lot of the drive to make it clear where TUPE should apply has come not from trade unions or employees but from business—that has been evident from the time of the acquired rights directive right up until the latest negotiations in 2006. Business itself was saying, ““Let us be clear as to where TUPE should apply””, because it knows that it cannot have competitive fairness if someone can undercut it by short-changing their staff on terms and conditions, salaries and so on. Doing something about this would create a situation where there is less uncertainty. I tried to make that point over and again. TUPE should not be seen as a burden; it is a benefit both to employer and employee.