Clause 10
Employment Bill [Lords]
12:30 pm
Barry Gardiner (Brent North, Labour)
I see the point of the hon. Gentleman’s remarks. Clearly, however, one could then get into a situation in which the officers go in to copy documents, if that is possible, but when they ask for use of the photocopier, there is obstruction on the part of the employer, who says, “No, I’m sorry, you’re not going to use my photocopier,” or, “I’m going to charge you £1.20 a copy,” or whatever.
All that such an amendment would do is put in place another obstacle that would become a point of dispute between the officers and the employers. I thought that the whole thrust of what the Committee wanted to do was to simplify things and get certainty. In that sense, it is much better that the powers should be as they currently appear in the Bill.