Compensation Bill [Lords]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. I am pleased that the Minister has come forward with an approach that offers a sensible way of sorting out trade unions. I was concerned about the amount of mud that was being thrown earlier, with the benefit of parliamentary privilege, at some trades unions and indeed some law firms. Perhaps I should correct my own position in relation to that matter. I was never a partner in Thompsons. I was a partner in Robin Thompson and Partners until 1995, when I resigned as I did not want to be part of the new Thompsons firm, for reasons that had nothing to do with the things we have been debating today. I have no direct knowledge of the issues that the hon. Member for North Durham has raised, although I do know that that law firm has a long and proud tradition of representing workers, from the Poplar dispute in 1926 onwards, and has created a lot of important law, often on a pro bono basis. I am concerned because those who are not here to answer for themselves have been slagged off as they have—but any suggestion that I have an association with them, as the hon. Gentleman seemed to suggest, is wrong. I started my life as a trade union official, as he did, before I qualified as a solicitor, and I no longer work for that firm. I have no commercial relationship with it in any way, shape or form. I am concerned that a lot of very good firms have been traduced in the debate that we have had on the Bill. What is important is that we recognise that trade unions are in a special position, and that they do a lot of extremely good work on legal issues on behalf of their members and their members’ families. We do not need to have the detailed regulation that the claims handlers, which are in large part very dodgy firms, need. I join my hon. Friend in the hope that those people will be drummed out of business as a consequence of part 2. As I have said, I have grave reservations about part 1. If the Bill consisted of part 1 alone, I would not vote to give it a Third Reading. However, the downside of part 1 is balanced by the new provisions on mesothelioma and part 2, so I will reluctantly support the Bill—but I still think that clause 1 stinks. Question put and agreed to. Bill accordingly read the Third time, and passed, with amendments.