Debates between Richard Burgon and Richard Bacon during the 2017-2019 Parliament

Tue 4th Sep 2018
Civil Liability Bill [Lords]
Commons Chamber

2nd reading: House of Commons & Money resolution: House of Commons & Programme motion: House of Commons

Civil Liability Bill [Lords]

Debate between Richard Burgon and Richard Bacon
2nd reading: House of Commons & Money resolution: House of Commons & Programme motion: House of Commons
Tuesday 4th September 2018

(6 years, 3 months 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: HL Bill 110-I Marshalled list for Third Reading (PDF, 56KB) - (26 Jun 2018)
Richard Burgon Portrait Richard Burgon
- Hansard - -

I certainly agree with that point, which I will come to later. People also need to consider the psychological effects of some of these injuries.

I must make some progress. I want to talk about the type of people who will be affected by these reforms, and I will now give some real-life examples.

Richard Bacon Portrait Mr Richard Bacon (South Norfolk) (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Will the hon. Gentleman give way before he does that?

Richard Burgon Portrait Richard Burgon
- Hansard - -

I will not give way when I want to talk about real-life examples. We need to hear from the people who will be affected by these reforms. Once I have given them a voice, I will give the hon. Gentleman his chance to speak. These people include a warehouse operative who suffered a head injury when a heavy metal bolt fell from a roller shutter door and struck him on the head, and a caretaker in a council who was pushing rubbish bags down a chute when he was injured by a needle that had pierced through one of the bags. He suffered a physical and, indeed, psychological injury; just imagine all that worry as he was waiting for the tests. Those are real cases that have been sent to my office and that would be penalised by the new system. We cannot have those voices being drowned out by the rhetoric that calls people fraudsters and says they are on the make when they are anything but.

Richard Bacon Portrait Mr Bacon
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I am sure many of us agree that genuine cases need to be treated appropriately, but does the hon. Gentleman agree that there is a problem with a growing compensation culture?

Richard Burgon Portrait Richard Burgon
- Hansard - -

The evidence does not bear that out. Proven fraudulent whiplash claims amount to 0.25%. To hear some Conservative MPs, we would think that the majority of whiplash claims were fraudulent, when only 0.25% have been shown to be. It is not justice if the honest vast majority are penalised because of a tiny dishonest minority. That is no way to reform things or make the law.