PRESS RELEASE
June 5th, 2009

Damages bill blow

A bill that aims to make the compensation process fairer and quicker has been dealt a blow at the Scottish Parliament.

Backed by Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil, the Damages (Scotland) Bill has been introduced by his Labour colleague Bill Butler.

It seeks to introduce a fairer compensation system for victims of accidents and diseases, including those injured in the workplace.

But the bill has been kicked into the long grass by committee members from the SNP and Liberal Democrats.

They have asked for the consultation process of the bill to be started again, delaying the bill by six months.

The MSP insisted the decision was unnecessary as the Scottish Law Commission had carried out a full and robust consultation into the bill.

Mr McNeil said: “This is a totally unnecessary delay that will have an impact on those having to wait for their rightful compensation.

“Many people in Inverclyde know only too well the humiliating and complex process given our history on the Clyde, with asbestos and other heavy industry.

“So for the Justice Committee to ask for this process to be carried out again is ridiculous and makes me question the commitment of some of its members.”

The delay has also been criticised by campaigners and trade unions.

Frank Maguire, senior partner at Thompsons and a leading expert on fatal cases, said: "We all feel for those deprived of loved ones whether through the recent helicopter tragedy, tugboat overturning on the Clyde, those dying from C-Diff in our hospitals and those who die every week on our roads.

“They are the ones who will suffer by the Justice Committee causing the Law Commission legislation to be delayed.

“They will be deprived of much needed, fair compensation and be the subject of delays and probes into their private lives.”

Unite Scottish Secretary John Quigley said: “The need for reform in this field is urgent, exemplified by the recent compensation award for the Stockline Disaster which was reached five years after the tragedy itself.

"It is vital for victims and their families that not only do we have access to justice but also a justice system that is efficient, practical and transparent - fit for the 21st century, placing people before profit.”

ENDS