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Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill [Lords]

I know that the hon. Gentleman does not, but the Liberal Democrats in both Houses have consistently welcomed it, and we are sure that it is the right way forward. This is another step in giving the judicial system welcome independence. Something has not yet been mentioned, but I hope that it is a corollary of what is being done: one of the most important things in all these systems is that we have good mediation processes. My borough has a well respected, well reputed and well supported mediation service. We need to ensure that, as we develop the possibilities of legal remedy, we also develop the agencies that can resolve the problems before they ever reach a tribunal or a court. I want to put down a marker for the importance of the mediation process before we have to bring disputes before legally qualified tribunals. I have put the third general administration point to the Minister before. There may be differences of view about the Government’s current proposals on legal aid, but I welcomed her answer in which she said that, where appropriate, the Government intend to extend legal aid in the difficult and important work that goes before tribunals. That seems the right way forward. One of the remedies is that the Minister’s Department must be much more resolute in batting towards the Treasury, under its present and any successive leadership, for a bigger share of the Government cake. Ministers have heard me say before that the Department for Constitutional Affairs—the legal system—has not received proportionate growth in its finances, compared with the health service, education and the other parts of the welfare state. If we are going to do these things, we must ensure that they are adequately resourced. Yes, of course, we have one of the most generous legal aid systems in the world. [Interruption.] I concede to the Minister that it is perhaps even the most generous, but the growth has been much smaller—27 per cent.—since the Labour Government came to power, compared with three or four times that for health and education. If we want to support legal aid and people in the tribunal system, we need such growth.