Compensation Bill [Lords]

I hope that we have not lost the watching millions as a result of our tightly argued case for the legal alternatives. The hon. Gentleman is quite right. I had hoped to persuade Parliament that phrases such as ““an activity of social value”” or ““socially valuable””, which are to be found elsewhere in case law, would make a better argument, not least because they would not allow ambiguous interpretation. That is, they would not allow someone to ask to whom the activity was desirable. By definition, they would mean that it was valuable to the community, whereas ““desirable”” could mean that it was desirable merely to an individual. However, the opportunity to win that argument in the last round was counted out by the time constraints on our debate. The second substantive issue on the provision of claims management services contained only one major controversial point, and it remained controversial to the end. That was the issue of whether trade unions should be included or excluded from the provisions. I am grateful to the Minister for accepting the amendments that will allow for the subsequent statutory instruments to be debated in both Houses as a matter of course. That means that the matter can be returned to and that we will have the debate that I, and the hon. Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) and some other Labour Members, want to have. There are arguments on both sides; this is not a cut and dried case. However, the consumers out there need the reassurance that they will have a good, properly regulated service, and that they will not be abused, as some people have been in the trade union context, along with many more outside that context. That is our objective. When the Bill was first introduced, we were all keen to use it as an opportunity to deal with the great needs of mesothelioma sufferers. I pay tribute to the Minister, her civil servants and those who worked with them to ensure that we had the amendment on this issue. My hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (David Howarth) raised a small matter, which could be corrected without any prejudice to anyone when the Bill goes to the Lords to ensure that everyone is best protected. I would be very keen to work with colleagues across the House to ensure that the final drafting does not delay the Bill beyond the end of this Session, as it is the Minister’s wish and mine that that should not happen. I want us to make the Bill watertight, so that we do not restrict the opportunity of people with the disease, or their families, to get compensation. I am sure that, with that good will, we will be able to deliver. The thing that will be remembered about the Bill is that last change. It will be remembered as the Bill that gave a chance of being compensated to thousands of families—in as much as money can ever compensate them—for a serious disease that often remained undiagnosed for a long time but in the end took its toll very quickly. Up and down the land, people will now be able to get some compensation. That is a good bit of work done. As the Minister said, Parliament sometimes comes together across party boundaries to make sure that we look after the people who send us here.