§ Mr. WATTasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that a company called the General Accident Insurance Corporation of Perth, which does business largely with farmers in Scotland, is in the habit of issuing policies to them with a clause stipulating for arbitration in the event of a claim against the company; that such arbitration is protracted till it amounts to a virtual refusal of payment of the just debts of the company, the farmers being precluded from recourse to the ordinary Law Courts to assert their rights; and, if so, whether he will introduce legislation this Session to prevent insurance companies avoiding payment of claims by the insertion in their contracts of arbitration clauses, in view of the fact that such clauses deprive the insured of their rights to appeal to the Law Courts of the land?
Mr. McKINNON WOODAssuming the facts to be as stated in the first part of my hon. Friend's question, I am not aware of any complaints as to delay in the arbitration proceedings referred to, and I am, therefore, unable to see any necessity for the, proposed legislation.