Clause 2 provides that the Bill shall extend to Northern Ireland in addition to the remainder of the United Kingdom—that is the same arrangement as that in the 1998 Act. It also addresses the enforcement of the agricultural minimum wage in Scotland. The reason for that is that agriculture is devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland and the agricultural minimum wage has been in place throughout the United Kingdom for more than half a century.

At present, schedule 2 to the 1998 Act makes several amendments to the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949 to incorporate several provisions of the national minimum wage into the agricultural minimum wage. The Scottish Executive intend to lay before the Edinburgh Parliament independent, parallel legislation similar to the Bill, but covering only Scottish agriculture. The clause therefore ensures that the Bill's provisions will not be carried across to the 1949 Act. For the sake of total clarity, I tell the Committee that the clause does not affect the existing structure of the national minimum wage or agricultural wages legislation.

Although agriculture is also a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, the Committee will be aware that the Stormont Assembly is temporarily suspended. My Department has confirmed with the Northern Ireland Office that it is content for the Bill to cover agriculture in Northern Ireland.