Compensation Bill [Lords]

My hon. Friend points out the absence of SNP Members, but it does not surprise me, as they rarely come to the Chamber when something of such importance to many of their constituents is being debated. I am not surprised—disappointed, perhaps, but I may be too old and cynical even to be disappointed any more. With reference to Scotland, I am grateful to our colleagues in the Scottish Executive who worked extremely hard in a very short time to agree the Sewel motion, which will allow the provision to apply to Scotland. I put on record my thanks to them for taking on board the issues that we raised with them, despite the fact that we did not necessarily have every t crossed and every i dotted. The provision will apply regardless of where the exposure took place. I am aware that some concerns have been expressed that this may extend the principle contained in Fairchild. I do not believe that this is the case. Although the case of Fairchild related to a workplace exposure, the principle contained in the House of Lords judgment was not restricted to such cases. To restrict the provision to workplace exposure would mean that some of the claimants affected by Barker would be left in exactly the same difficulties as they are now suffering, and that different claimants would be treated in different ways purely because of where the exposure occurred. That cannot be right.