Compensation Bill [Lords]

I shall start by rebutting the tongue in cheek but mischievous remarks made by the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald), who has tried to relate union money for the Labour party to this Bill and exemptions—good, bad or otherwise. I am uniquely positioned to rebut the hon. Gentleman. In 1996, The Sunday Times described me as ““the bagman”” between the unions and the Labour party. The unions played a particularly valuable role in removing the hon. Gentleman’s party from office in 1997 by ensuring that union money, which is determined in statute by legislation on political levies and political ballots, was channelled into the choices of union members. I appreciate that he is sore about that, but it has nothing to do with the issues before us. I want to refer to the draft regulations that the Minister has been considering. I appreciate that she has rightly spent her scarce but valuable time on new clause 13 on mesothelioma, which means that she has not had the opportunity to put time and effort into the draft. Hon. Members on both sides of the House are thankful that mesothelioma has been her priority, but it means that the draft contains some weaknesses. There is one matter that the Minister can easily clarify, which would solve a core problem with the draft. The introduction discusses exempting trade unions in relation to services provided to their own members. If the definition of ““members”” is specified, many of the problems will disappear, because union members, as defined by law, have a series of forms of redress that are not available to other consumers. First, they have the certification officer, who is a regulator to whom they can go on matters that they are unhappy about. Secondly, they have the structures of their union and the ability to participate in decision making and democracy, which is unlike any other organisations that we have discussed and which, again, is covered by statute. Thirdly, they have a form of redress—the common law and an injunction—under the Employment Act 1992, if they feel that their union is acting outside its rules. The union member, as currently defined in statute, has a particular series of rights, which are not available to any other consumer. I put it to the House that the combination of those three factors is greater than any regulatory powers.