A proposal to remove the National Minimum Wage for some employees had its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday (17 June 2011).

The Employment Opportunities Bill, put forward last year by Conservative MP, Christopher Chope has been designed "to introduce more freedom, flexibility and opportunity for those seeking employment in the public and private sectors".

It would enable those entitled to the minimum wage to opt out from that entitlement and 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.

If the Bill were to become law, it would also 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.