Compensation Bill [Lords]

The hon. Gentleman is correct to say that organisations that refer cases to solicitors are regulated by the Bill, and so they should be. The relationship between a trade union and its individual members is based on the rule book, which is itself a contract. The primary reason for joining a trade union is not to get access to its legal services; people join for a whole range of reasons, which are primarily concerned with work and bargaining between the employer and the employees collectively. Alongside that negotiating relationship, trade unions offer a range of services, one of which is the provision of free legal services at the time of need. It is a very different kind of organisation from the claims farmers that we are seeking to regulate, which go out to find whether there is a cause for action, and then, if there is something that can plausibly be made something of, pass it on to a solicitor. They are claims farmers, and should be regulated as such.