§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what steps he is taking to help victims of industrial deafness who are deterred from pursuing claims against their employers by the new regulations governing legal aid;
(2) what steps he is taking to help victims of industrial deafness to pursue their claims for compensation against their employers.
Mr. John M. TaylorNo separate assessment has been made of the effect of the legal aid eligibility changes on litigants with specific categories of case. However, the financial limits for personal injury actions remain higher than those for other categories of civil proceedings. The disposable income limit for personal injury cases is £7,500 (£6,800 for other proceedings) and the disposable capital limit is £8,560 (£6,750 for other proceedings).
No specific steps are proposed for the handling of industrial deafness cases, but they will benefit from a number of jurisdictional and procedural changes introduced for personal injury cases generally over the past two years. In the coming months the Lord Chancellor intends to issue a public consultation document setting out proposals for a less formal method than trial in open court for handling smaller personal injury claims. Depending on the financial limit set, a number of industrial deafness cases may benefit.