Compensation Bill [Lords]

I wholeheartedly welcome part 2 of the Bill, unlike part 1. As a former trade union solicitor, I think that the trade union schemes are important, especially owing to the way in which test cases can be financed through unions’ legal systems. The last big case that I did before I was elected to the House was against the former Home Secretary, the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard). It was supported by a consortium of 11 trade unions and led to the end of attempted reforms to the criminal injuries compensation scheme, which would have cost the victims of criminal injuries a sum in the region of £150 million.