Clause 22 - Employment tribunals
Employment Bill
10:30 am
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
I was responding to a point made by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Rob Marris) about extending the provision to cover barristers and solicitors. The hon. Gentleman said that that would cut across the principles of professional self-regulation, with which I do not disagree. However, the amendment's purpose is to cover a wider group than that and to deal with an omission in the Bill. If the Minister insists that the Bill provides that financial penalties should bite only on those who are remunerated for their services, how does he intend to deal with those who abuse the system—those who are vexatious or whose conduct of a case is inappropriate—who are not remunerated and not subject to the other remedies provided in clause 22?