I read with interest your Opinion highlighting the helter-skelter approach to law reform being pursued by the coalition,

While the Con-Dems certainly appear keen to sell to public opinion their reforming credentials, their words do not match their deeds. That rancid chestnut – the ‘compensation culture’ – being a fine case in point.

The Ministry of Justice consultation (CP19/10) on cash inducements offered by claims management companies (CMCs) seemed unqualified in marketing the coalition’s aim of taking steps to bury the unsavoury stench associated with all participants (CMCs, lawyers, money-grubbing consumers) coalescing around the compensation culture.

Despite the government’s own marketing machine, the MoJ response, while confirming the extent of the support for an outright ban on cash inducements, has lobbed the proposed change into the long grass.

The government that tells us they are declaring war on red tape has decided to refer the proposed change in the Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules (deleting the two words ‘an immediate’, inserting the one word ‘any’) to the Regulatory Policy Committee and the Reducing Regulation Committee.

I am not sure who is laughing most, but I am pretty sure CMCs are a lot happier than most solicitors.

John Holtom, Managing partner, Legal Solutions Partnership, Luton