Employment Opportunities Bill

The stated purpose of the Bill is to introduce more freedom, flexibility and opportunity for those seeking employment in the public and private sectors. It would

• reduce restrictions on foreign nationals lawfully resident in the UK that prevent them from working, unless they have been refused leave to remain or are in detention
• enable those entitled to the minimum wage to opt out from that entitlement
• remove the entitlement to the minimum wage from those who are receiving a training wage, if they had entered into a written contract of employment offering them a training wage and training from the employer in skills relevant to the employment
• require the Low Pay Commission to institute an enquiry into the impact of the national minimum wage on job creation and access to employment in areas of high unemployment, and to consider whether to reduce the minimum wage in those areas if it is found to have had a negative effect. It would further require the Secretary of State to act on recommendations by the Commission to reduce the minimum wage.