We recently reported that the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) had secured cross-Government clearance to amend the work histories legislation. This was to restore the practice of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to disclose work histories of a Deceased person without the need for their personal representatives and their legal representatives to obtain a Court order.
 
The MOJ has now released a proposed amendment to the Deregulation Bill. This seeks to allow HMRC to disclose information held by them to persons entitled to bring proceedings under the fatal accident legislation, to persons entitled to bring proceedings for personal injury for the benefit of a Deceased person’s Estate, or to persons claiming to be eligible under section 3 of the Mesothelioma Act 2014 for a payment under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme.
 
These changes are welcomed by mesothelioma victims, and by those representing mesothelioma victims who had to endure unnecessary increased delay and expense during the HMRC’s policy change. However, at this stage, the Bill needs to be approved at the report stage in the House of Commons before it can be considered by the House of Lords.