I should like to record my congratulations to the new Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, the right hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz). He served with me from the beginning on the Constitutional Affairs Committee, which is shortly to become the Justice Committee. He was acerbic in his...

I should like to record my congratulations to the new Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, the right hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz). He served with me from the beginning on the Constitutional Affairs Committee, which is shortly to become the Justice Committee. He was acerbic in his...

In welcoming that return of a degree of judicial discretion, may I also remind the Lord Chancellor of another unintended consequence, which concerns indeterminate sentences for public protection? So large is the number of summary offences and relatively short-sentence offences involved that the Parole Board cannot possibly process the cases...

In welcoming that return of a degree of judicial discretion, may I also remind the Lord Chancellor of another unintended consequence, which concerns indeterminate sentences for public protection? So large is the number of summary offences and relatively short-sentence offences involved that the Parole Board cannot possibly process the cases...

: I have indeed, but mainly because my hon. Friends and other hon. Members have passed letters from personal injury lawyers in their constituencies on to me. One or two personal injury lawyers in each constituency have dutifully written to their Members of Parliament, as they are quite entitled to...

: I have indeed, but mainly because my hon. Friends and other hon. Members have passed letters from personal injury lawyers in their constituencies on to me. One or two personal injury lawyers in each constituency have dutifully written to their Members of Parliament, as they are quite entitled to...

I glad that you, Mr. Marshall, and a significant number of hon. Members, as well as the Minister, who has taken on new responsibilities, have stayed behind on the last day before the Easter recess in order to discuss the small claims track, which is important to a lot of...

I glad that you, Mr. Marshall, and a significant number of hon. Members, as well as the Minister, who has taken on new responsibilities, have stayed behind on the last day before the Easter recess in order to discuss the small claims track, which is important to a lot of...

: The hon. Gentleman is a very experienced personal injury lawyer who has fought many such cases, but I am not. I am focusing on the fact that several injuries fall within the small range that I mentioned. If, at the end of the day, the claimant gets £1,250, one...

: The hon. Gentleman is a very experienced personal injury lawyer who has fought many such cases, but I am not. I am focusing on the fact that several injuries fall within the small range that I mentioned. If, at the end of the day, the claimant gets £1,250, one...

: But the hon. Gentleman is not there any more.

: But the hon. Gentleman is not there any more.

: Another aspect of the problem my hon. Friend describes is that, in the world of contingency fees, an increasing number of solicitors have to make difficult judgments to turn down cases where the evidence is weak and the case has reached the margin of sustainability, because they have to...

: Another aspect of the problem my hon. Friend describes is that, in the world of contingency fees, an increasing number of solicitors have to make difficult judgments to turn down cases where the evidence is weak and the case has reached the margin of sustainability, because they have to...

: The hon. Gentleman has to answer his own question. If someone who lacks all that essential evidence goes to a local solicitor and says, ““Will you take my case?””, he then has to deal with solicitors, but they are now managing risk in terms of the likelihood of winning...

: The hon. Gentleman has to answer his own question. If someone who lacks all that essential evidence goes to a local solicitor and says, ““Will you take my case?””, he then has to deal with solicitors, but they are now managing risk in terms of the likelihood of winning...

: Is the hon. Gentleman saying that the existing £1,000 limit in all cases is at risk of being regarded as an infringement of article 6?

: Is the hon. Gentleman saying that the existing £1,000 limit in all cases is at risk of being regarded as an infringement of article 6?

: I hope that the hon. Gentleman will think again if he is suggesting that the Committee came to its conclusion because of the lobbying power of the insurance industry. If any group of people influenced the Committee significantly, it was probably the judges themselves, explaining what they believed their...

: I hope that the hon. Gentleman will think again if he is suggesting that the Committee came to its conclusion because of the lobbying power of the insurance industry. If any group of people influenced the Committee significantly, it was probably the judges themselves, explaining what they believed their...

: At least we now have the cards on the table. The hon. Gentleman should be arguing for all small cases to be taken out, but that is unreasonable in terms both of the perception of what judges will do in the small claims court and of the treatment of...

: At least we now have the cards on the table. The hon. Gentleman should be arguing for all small cases to be taken out, but that is unreasonable in terms both of the perception of what judges will do in the small claims court and of the treatment of...

: If the hon. Gentleman is arguing that all the cases that have hitherto gone down the small claims track should not have been dealt with in that way, he should have been arguing for a long time to remove them entirely. What we actually have is an argument about...

: If the hon. Gentleman is arguing that all the cases that have hitherto gone down the small claims track should not have been dealt with in that way, he should have been arguing for a long time to remove them entirely. What we actually have is an argument about...

: With the leave of the Chamber, I want to thank hon. Members who have taken part in the debate, especially the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire), who makes such a valuable contribution to the Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes), with...

: With the leave of the Chamber, I want to thank hon. Members who have taken part in the debate, especially the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire), who makes such a valuable contribution to the Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes), with...

: Indeed it would. I expect that a further letter in amplification of the hon. Gentleman's persistent and necessary questioning on the subject might follow from the Department. Were the consultants on whom so much money was spent involved in trying to sort out the county court IT provision? If...

: Indeed it would. I expect that a further letter in amplification of the hon. Gentleman's persistent and necessary questioning on the subject might follow from the Department. Were the consultants on whom so much money was spent involved in trying to sort out the county court IT provision? If...

: I am not a lawyer, although there are quite a few around. Having an accountant present encourages me to invite him and his colleagues to come up with some more ideas as to how we can improve the enforcement process. The Government have some good ideas that they want...

: I am not a lawyer, although there are quite a few around. Having an accountant present encourages me to invite him and his colleagues to come up with some more ideas as to how we can improve the enforcement process. The Government have some good ideas that they want...

: The hon. Gentleman mentions the essential qualification—"““all but the smallest cases””." In a moment, I shall come to medical reports as they relate to personal injury claims and I hope to deal then with the concern that he expressed.

: The hon. Gentleman mentions the essential qualification—"““all but the smallest cases””." In a moment, I shall come to medical reports as they relate to personal injury claims and I hope to deal then with the concern that he expressed.

: That is a very proper concern in more complex cases. When I say more complex, I have in mind the complexity involved in dealing with an injury with a high prospect of recurrence, not the massive complexity that one might normally associate with a legal argument. In the case...

: That is a very proper concern in more complex cases. When I say more complex, I have in mind the complexity involved in dealing with an injury with a high prospect of recurrence, not the massive complexity that one might normally associate with a legal argument. In the case...

Westminster Hall debate on a motion for the adjournment on the courts - small claims. Motion made, and Question proposed, That the sitting be now adjourned.—[Kevin Brennan.]

Westminster Hall debate on a motion for the adjournment on the courts - small claims. Motion made, and Question proposed, That the sitting be now adjourned.—[Kevin Brennan.]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what are the contractual arrangements for the imposition of penalties on the contractors responsible for the introduction of new information technology systems at the Passport Agency; and if he will make a statement. - Inc figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what are the contractual arrangements for the imposition of penalties on the contractors responsible for the introduction of new information technology systems at the Passport Agency; and if he will make a statement. - Inc figures.