Compensation Bill [Lords]

My right hon. Friend makes an important point about a tragic, serious case. He knows that the Secretary of State and I have a great deal of sympathy with the concerns that he and others have expressed about the judgment in Barker v. Corus and that we are very sympathetic to the claimants. The judgment gives rise to a number of serious and complex issues, and it is important that we get the answer right. I know that several of my hon. Friends have had discussions not only with the Secretary of State but with the Prime Minister himself, and the Prime Minister said yesterday that we are looking carefully at the context of this Bill. We hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly. I would be happy if it were possible for something to be done through the Bill, but it may not be the appropriate vehicle—we have people considering the matter carefully. I can assure my right hon. Friend that the Government are committed to doing all that we can to ensure that the victims in these cases are properly looked after. I will ensure that discussions on the issues continue and that we come to a conclusion as swiftly as possible.