Compensation Bill [Lords]

This is a small but significant Bill. Part 2 was obviously needed, as we have seen chaos develop after the miners’ coal health claims came into being, because of claims farmers. Those companies came in and cold-called people, collected claims together, and sold them on to solicitors. Sometimes, they would hold on to them before passing them on to solicitors later for a huge fee. We have heard from two colleagues about the kind of problems that those activities have caused in their constituencies. Part 2 is therefore very welcome, as it will bring regulation and order where there was none. I thank the Minister for her hard work in bringing forward new clause 13, which will provide an opportunity for people suffering from mesothelioma to have their compensation paid fairly. It will reverse the Barker decision, which, in my estimation, involved a great deal of unfairness. The Minister gave a great deal of thought to the issue of retrospection. That retrospection will provide an opportunity for most of the cases caught between the Barker decision of 3 May and the current position to be reviewed. I thank the Minister for what she has done. She worked hard to bring forward new clause 13, which will be beneficial. Overall, the Bill is significant. We will look back on it for two main reasons: first, for bringing regulation were there was none, to control the claims farmers; and secondly, for new clause 13 on mesothelioma.