Civil Liability Bill [Lords] Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Civil Liability Bill [Lords]

Jim Cunningham Excerpts
3rd reading: House of Commons & Report stage: House of Commons
Tuesday 23rd October 2018

(6 years ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Civil Liability Act 2018 View all Civil Liability Act 2018 Debates Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts Amendment Paper: Consideration of Bill Amendments as at 23 October 2018 - (23 Oct 2018)
Gloria De Piero Portrait Gloria De Piero
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We are talking about physical injuries.

Jim Cunningham Portrait Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)
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Surely the only gainers here are the insurance companies. Most people, because legal aid has been reduced, cannot afford solicitors.

Gloria De Piero Portrait Gloria De Piero
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Exactly. I do not think anybody in this House will want to shed a tear for those insurance companies whose profits are going up and up. In 2017, profits for Direct Line went up 52% to £570 million and Aviva recorded a profit of £1.6 billion—and I have not even talked about the packages that some insurance company bosses take home.

The Government appear to have rounded this figure up. We say base the figure on the advice and recommendations of countless experts and follow the evidence. Even if the hon. Member for Croydon South (Chris Philp) does not listen to me, I wish he would follow the evidence of the experts. New clause 1 does just that. It would increase the limit only by CPI since 1999 and limit any increase to £1,500. That way, injured people with significant injuries and potentially even more significant losses will get the representation they need and deserve.