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Proceeding contribution from Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru) in the House of Lords on Monday, 23 April 2012. It occurred during Debate on bill on Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.


Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

My Lords, I have listened carefully to what the Minister has said in this short debate, but the fact remains that if one considers the debates that took place at Second Reading, in Committee and on Report in the House of Commons, these issues have not been handled in depth and in detail. We have not seen the figures on how financial savings will arise in detail from the changes that are being made. If there are complexities in law with regard to many of the cases for compensation for injury or disease in a place of work, surely without financial support people will not be able to get the compensation to which they are entitled. If they are entitled to compensation, it is downright unacceptable that up to 25 per cent can be skimmed off. Time after time the Minister has said that there is no compulsion to take up to 25 per cent. There may not be compulsion but it is available, and the Government have chosen to make it available. To my mind, and I believe to the minds of many noble Lords, that is unacceptable. The House of Commons needs to get its act in order and to apply itself in detail to these questions in a way that did not happen on 17 April when about one-third, at most, of an hour was allotted to the content of this amendment. For those reasons, I wish to test the will of the House. Division on Motion F1. Contents 174; Not-Contents 220. Motion F1 disagreed. Moved by


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
736 c1628 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Children Compensation Appeals Asylum Damages Civil servants Advisory services Asbestos Equality Health services Fees and charges Legal aid scheme Immigration Domestic abuse Legal Services Commission Legal costs Industrial diseases Public appointments Negligence Mesothelioma Tribunals Social security benefits Telephone services Financial procedure Law centres First-tier Tribunal Lord Chancellor Citizens' advice bureaux
Legislation
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk