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Compensation Bill [HL]

I have a great deal of sympathy with the principle behind the amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral. However, I think that its drafting has gone astray somewhere, because what identifies something that ought to be under the control of the legislation is not the residence of the client but the location where the claim would be litigated. The amendment would exclude some people who ought to be protected—for instance, a foreigner who, on a holiday visit to England, suffers injury as a result of the alleged negligence of an English local authority. On the other hand, it would cover those who probably ought not to be covered, such as someone who is resident in England but pursues a claim which, if it has to be litigated, would be litigated in a different country. However, I see the point and I hope that the noble Baroness will be able to assure us that the Bill can be used against those who are resident in Fuengirola or South Africa and are trying to make money out of claims based in this country.