Compensation Bill [Lords]

The hon. Gentleman should not talk in terms of conspiracy theories. That always worries me. Let us consider the position of Miss Barker. Her case could have been settled on the Fairchild basis of joint and several liability. There was no reason not to do that. However, the Government decided to make it a test case, take it all the way to the highest court in the land—the House of Lords—and see what the judgment would be. Given the Under-Secretary’s position today that Fairchild is correct and the right law for our country, it is odd to have gone all the way to the House of Lords, arguing something completely different, barely six weeks ago.