New Clause 5
Employment Bill [Lords]
3:30 pm
Nick Palmer (PPS (Malcolm Wicks, Minister of State), Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform; Broxtowe, Labour)
If there is a problem with tribunals being too generous to applicants, that should be addressed by looking at the way in which they reach their conclusions rather than by a financial penalty. The idea that 19 per cent. of applicants could be faced with a bill of, on average, £9,000 when they have just been dismissed is, frankly, terrifying. It is unprecedented in civil law for one to face the prospect of being automatically landed with a huge legal bill if one loses, without the court having any discretion over that. Whether we intend it to or not, that will have an extremely intimidatory effect. I urge hon. Members to reconsider the new clause.