§ 7. Mr. Mappasked the Attorney-General what consideration he has given to the introduction of new legislation to deal with accident consultants who tout victims of road accidents by means of signed agreements involving payments of a high percentage of any damages that may be recovered.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI do not consider that legislation is needed for this purpose.
§ Mr. MappIf I send the Attorney-General the correspondence that I have had with Messrs. Wheeler Morgan and Company, Assessors, of High Holborn, who lack legal advice, will he, in conjunction with the Law Society and reputable insurance organisations, consider cold-shouldering this form of commercial exploitation of people who have suffered street and other accidents? These should not be matters for commercial exploitation, and I hope that the Minister will do all that he can to cold-shoulder this kind of operation.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI hope that under the provisions that are now made 1212 for legal aid the public generally will think it more convenient to get professional qualified advice rather than unqualified advice, but that does not necessarily mean that one ought to legislate against what may on occasions be helpful advice, and it is certainly the view of Lord Gardiner, who is interested in law reform, that champerty and maintenance and that sort of thing ought to be abolished as a medieval practice, in which event this could be done by anybody, including those who are unqualified.