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Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

Let me try to reassure my hon. Friend. It is incumbent on us to keep the relevant aspects of this situation under review. I do not want to prejudge or anticipate issues that the Scottish Parliament might encounter as it examines this proposed legislation and its potential consequences. As I have said, the issues of how government can deal with such cases and the need for consistency must be addressed. In addition to the provisions in this Bill, we introduced provisions in the Compensation Act 2006 to provide that, where a person has contracted mesothelioma after there has been wrongful exposure to asbestos at different times by more than one person, negligent persons are jointly and severally liable. That enables a claimant to recover full compensation from any relevant person rather than having to trace them all and recover compensation on a piecemeal basis. We are also taking steps to improve the claims handling process. For example, the Civil Procedure Rule Committee is currently considering a new practice direction to ensure that a uniform fast-track scheme for mesothelioma cases based on the one that has been working well in the royal courts of justice is applied consistently in all courts around the country. I also know that my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, West and Penistone has discussed with the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice), and Lord McKenzie of Luton, from my Department, the possibility of a register for those diagnosed with pleural plaques to include details of employment and the employers' insurers.