This week's opinion

How far should the state go in naming and shaming those who fall foul of the rules? There is mechanism under which the names of serious tax defaulters can be published. Checks and balances are built in including giving people the opportunity to come clean to avoid being named and there is a reasonable de minimis limit.

But I am concerned about the equivalent rules for the national minimum wage. Employers who exploit their workers deserve all they get but the rules for publication are not confined to such abuses. Take the list released on 11 August . Looking at the first four names in the list the average amount owed to each employee is £3 318 £82 £42 and £117. Clearly there was something serious wrong in the first case but the others? Surely these are minor errors in dealing with...