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Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

The hon. Gentleman is right. The sums awarded in compensation for pleural plaques are minimal; we are talking about the principle. There is, however, a more important point. When people are paid compensation their records are kept on file, but that register no longer exists. The people who worked in the industry concerned had worked, and contracted the disease, all over the United Kingdom and indeed abroad. Without the register specifying exactly who they worked for and when, the situation becomes extremely difficult, because people who are diagnosed must trace their records way back. As some of them do not have much time to live, it is important that the information is available when they are diagnosed.