Equality Bill

My Lords, I do not want to add anything to what the noble Lord has just said. I would like, however, to mention his Amendment 91, which suggests that "250" be left out and be replaced by "100". Quite recently, I was approached by a number of employees who work in private companies working for the NHS. They told me that they suffer very much from inequality, but that they would not be able to utilise the provisions of this Bill, because the companies they work for are quite small, relatively, and they would not have the 250 employees which make it possible for them to utilise the provisions in the Bill. I wonder whether we could look again at the number 250—whether you have 100 or more or a lesser number—because quite clearly a number of people are working in smaller companies who will not benefit at all from the provisions of this Bill. I agree with a lot of what the noble Lord, Lord Lester, has said about the provisions in relation to equal pay generally, but I would like to say a few words about that when we come to discuss Amendment 93.