Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Shailesh Vara and William Bain(10 years, 1 month ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Shailesh Vara)
We continue to work with stakeholders to see how we can improve the claims process for these tragic cases.
Mr Bain
Mesothelioma is an horrific industrial disease and its victims deserve much better than the shameful way in which they have been treated by this Government, with their botched consultations, prevarications and delays. Will the Minister, on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, confirm that he will not waste any more taxpayers’ money in further appealing the recent damning judicial review ruling made against his Department?
Mr Vara
We will certainly consider the way forward on that, but I will take no lectures from the hon. Gentleman on what we have done. This Government are putting provisions into the Deregulation Bill that will enable Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to provide information to legal representatives without a court order. We are liaising with the national cancer registration service and others to allow expedited access to medical notes. We also introduced the Mesothelioma Act 2014, which again benefits sufferers and victims. I will not take any lectures from him on that front.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Shailesh Vara and William Bain(10 years, 10 months ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Shailesh Vara)
My hon. Friend is right to say that the Government made a commitment to have a review, and we will do that. We will be starting it soon, and we will have a consultation. We intend to have the results of the review by the end of the year.
Mr William Bain (Glasgow North East) (Lab)
T3. The Secretary of State had previously been adamant that no further contracts would be awarded to Serco until it had received a clean bill of health from the Serious Fraud Office. Will he therefore explain why he awarded it a contract for the extension of Thameside prison on 20 December? When is a contract not a contract?