Compensation Bill [Lords]

I fully accept what my right hon. Friend says. The Select Committee took the view that everybody who acts as a claims handler should be treated in exactly the same way. However, we argued about the subject in Committee, and I lost the vote. The Government said, ““No, we are not prepared to do that; we will exempt trade unions, on conditions.”” That is what clause 5 allows: exemptions on conditions. The Minister has told us that a code of conduct—of which I have seen a draft—will apply to trade unions, but the problem is that there is absolutely no method of enforcement, whereas under the regulation, criminal offences are created. The police could intervene, and there are powers of investigation, search and seizure, which are necessary to investigate a case in which money is taken from the most vulnerable people in our society. However, the code of conduct for trade unions, we have been told, is simply to be administered by the Trades Union Congress. If an allegation is made, it appears that Brendan Barber will investigate it. Whatever one thinks about Brendan Barber—I believe that he is a fine servant of the union movement—the fact is that he is not a skilled investigator, and he will not have any powers of investigation. By all means let us have a code of conduct, but let us make it statutory. If there is a breach of the code, let us make it an offence. The Bill should say that an injunction can be passed to stop a union continuing to handle claims if it treats its claimants in an inappropriate or improper way. I believe that that is a fair response to the Minister’s point of view.