Midlothian MP's bid to curb gangmasters set to fail

A LABOUR MP's bid to extend existing safety legislation into the construction industry has failed in the Commons.

Midlothian MP David Hamilton said he wanted to see the provisions in the Gangmasters Licensing Act applied to building sites.

This would protect employees and ensure a level playing field for firms that took safety seriously, he claimed.

But business minister Ed Davey said he did not agree that licensing would be an "effective solution to problems in the construction sector".

Mr Hamilton's bill now stands virtually no chance of becoming law.

He had told MPs: "This bill intends to extend the remit of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, which currently only covers agriculture and the food processing sectors, to the construction industry."

He added: "This will help honest companies who are competing against dishonest companies and also protect employees, that is the real key to the whole thing."

But Mr Davey said: "Licensing is an expensive and untargeted system of regulation."