Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I declare the interests set out in the register, including in particular my partnership within the global legal firm, DAC Beachcroft, as well as my other entries. The amendments in my name are designed to promote responsible behaviour by motor insurers in order to focus on getting people better rather than by paying them cash which is not then used for treatment. In putting these...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, in declaring my interest as recorded in the register, I mention in particular my chairmanship of the Society of Conservative Lawyers. In an attempt to satisfy my noble friend Lord Deben, I refer him to a very detailed report on devolution as a result of a group headed by a senior barrister, Anthony Speaight QC, which concluded that the time has come to move from a conferred powers...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I first remind the House of my interests as declared in the register. Secondly, I thank my noble friend the Minister for his very careful consideration of all the points which have been raised, and for his recognition that these are genuine attempts to eradicate a practice which has arisen and which must be stopped. I will of course very carefully consider all the points he has...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: I am very grateful to my noble friend the Minister.
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I am moved to move this amendment, inserting the words, “which consists of or includes a claim”, so that Clause 49 would read, “proceedings on a claim which consists of or includes a claim for damages in respect of personal injury”, because immediately after Committee, when we had a very good debate on what is now Clause 49, a number of people on all sides of the House...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I declare an interest as the independent non-executive chair of the Lending Standards Boards and as having agreed to take a similar role with Cornerstone and this particular project. I join the noble Lord in welcoming the recognition of today’s International Credit Union Day. I congratulate my noble friends in the coalition Government on the project itself. Will the noble Lord...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister, in particular for his generous tribute to the way in which I introduced the amendment. However, I am gravely disappointed by the reaction of the noble Lord, Lord Beecham, whom I have always felt to be my noble friend, in seeking to categorise me in some way. Perhaps I should have declared an interest as a solicitor for many years for the...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: In view of my noble friend’s comments, I do not wish to speak to this amendment but will return to the matter on Report. Amendment 64A (to Amendment 64) not moved.
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I declare my interest as a practising solicitor and partner in the international law firm DAC Beachcroft and as chairman of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, and I have other interests recorded in the register. The “have a go” culture has infected our civil compensation system for far too long. Claimants—and it is always claimants—see that there is no real...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, first I declare my interests as set out in the register, in particular as a practising solicitor and partner for the last 46 years in an international commercial law firm, DAC Beachcroft. I am also very proud to be vice-chairman of Justice. I am relieved and pleased to see in her place the chair, the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy of The Shaws. I know that she will deal with some of...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: I am relieved, mainly because I always pride myself on being a master of the single entendre, so I am happy I did not go down that route. I formally welcome the Bill as an opportunity continually to revise the law. In many respects this House points out, as the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick, did once again, that we must be very careful about passing new laws and new...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: Does my noble friend agree with the conclusion of Sir Brian Leveson that the “ideal outcome” to this process would be, “a satisfactory independent regulatory body, established by the industry”? If he does, will he therefore welcome the progress that is being made by Sir Hayden Phillips and his appointment panel in selecting an independent chair and a new board for the Independent...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I warmly welcome the Bill. I will confine my remarks to Clause 1, as the other clauses were not addressed by the Leader’s Group, which I had the honour to chair. I am delighted to see that my noble friend Lord Hunt of Kings Heath—if I may call him that—is going to sum up, because together we served on that Leader’s Group with the noble Baronesses, Lady Farrington of...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of the existing body that upholds the editors’ code and as the person instructed to set up a new body. Does the noble Lord recall that in his very valuable report Lord Justice Leveson said on many occasions: “It is worth repeating that the ideal outcome is a satisfactory independent regulatory body, established by the industry”? Will he therefore...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: Not at all, and I am very grateful to the noble Lord for enabling me to clarify the position. The noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, was quite right to say that I referred to a possible amendment to the Bill. However, I was talking not about this Pandora's box but about the recognition of a code, just as we recognise codes in the Data Protection Act. We recognise codes in statute and I can see that...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: I just point out that when I applied for this post, I asked a noble and learned judge what independence meant, because I was concerned about the fact that I would be appointed by the industry. My noble and learned colleague from the judiciary said, "Don't worry about that. The House of Lords will judge whether you are independent or not". So I place myself in the hands of my noble colleagues....
Lord Hunt of Wirral: The noble Baroness is quite right. I have spoken many times to Professor Horgan and to the Irish press council. Much of what I am seeking to introduce in the new Leveson-compliant body will follow the lessons learnt in the Republic of Ireland. All that I was seeking to point out to Lord Justice Leveson was that as soon as you go down any statutory route, which requires a Bill-I added this...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I did not want to pre-empt any other Back-Bench contributions. I declare my interest as the independent chair of the Press Complaints Commission, and my other interests that are set out in the register. When we debated the Leveson report on 11 January, I reported to the House that I was confident that I could deliver a fresh start and a new body with teeth, "with comprehensive...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: My Lords, I declare an interest as chair and now sole owner of the Press Complaints Commission, and as a practising solicitor and partner in the international commercial law firm DAC Beachcroft. I was appointed to the PCC in October 2011 specifically to lead the renewal and regeneration of the system of self-regulation. In that context, I welcome the debate and the opportunity to listen to...
Lord Hunt of Wirral: As the noble Lord has raised the point, perhaps I may assist. It is very important that I of all people who has put forward a model should not be seen in any way to pre-empt the decision of Lord Justice Leveson.
