Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010

My Lords, I rise from these Benches to welcome the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010. The order has taken 11 years to be brought forward and we welcome the fact that the Government have decided to properly legislate on the issue only once clear evidence of its necessity has been proven. Liberal Democrats support all measures that seek to prevent discrimination on grounds of trade union membership or activities. We would like to probe the Government on their plans for continued monitoring of this area of trade union law and on what direct consultations they held before bringing these regulations forward. We are well aware of the Consulting Association case referred to earlier, which has effectively required that these regulations are brought into force. What consultations did the Government hold before and after this case with trade unions and other employment-related bodies on these issues? What plans are there to continue to monitor its impact? What information and communication are the Government planning to make employers as a whole aware of the existence of these regulations?