House of Commons Amendments

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

1375

House of Commons

Notices of Amendments

given on

Wednesday 20th June 2007

For other Amendment(s) see the following page(s) of Supplement to Votes:

491-3 and 1365-9

Consideration of Bill

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill [Lords]

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Henry Bellingham

19

Page  206,  line  17  [Schedule  12],  at end insert—

‘(b)
goods that fall within paragraph 4A(1);’.

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Henry Bellingham

20

Page  209,  line  12  [Schedule  12],  at end insert ‘or other competent person’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

21

Page  44,  line  4  [Clause  58],  leave out paragraph (c).

Mr Austin Mitchell

22

Page  44,  line  36  [Clause  59],  at end insert—

‘(h)
requiring enforcement officers receiving road traffic fines to work on the

basis of a published contract between the enforcement firm and the local

authority setting out the scale of charges.’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

23

Page  46,  line  32  [Clause  68],  leave out second ‘the’ and insert ‘any commercial’.

Independent regulatory authority for bailiffs and enforcement agents

Mr Austin Mitchell

nc5

To move the following Clause:—

Notices of Amendments: 20th June 2007
1376

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill–[ [], continued

‘(1)
The Lord Chancellor must by regulations establish an independent regulatory

authority for bailiffs and enforcement agents.

(2)
Regulations under subsection (1) must make provision for—

(a)
the licensing of enforcement agents;

(b)
the approval of the businesses and organisations which employ them;

(c)
the accreditation of the professional bodies which represent them;

(d)
the setting of standards of conduct;

(e)
the monitoring of performance;

(f)
the investigation of complaints;

(g)
the punishment of failure to comply with standards of conduct; and

(h)
the provision of redress where appropriate.’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

24

Page  205,  line  21  [Schedule  12],  leave out sub-paragraph (3).

Mr Austin Mitchell

25

Page  208,  line  2  [Schedule  12],  at end insert ‘and has signed a form to indicate that

the notice has been received’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

26

Page  209  [Schedule  12],  leave out line 6.

Mr Austin Mitchell

27

Page  209,  line  21  [Schedule  12],  leave out sub-paragraph (2).

Mr Austin Mitchell

28

Page  213,  line  2  [Schedule  12],  at end insert ‘and after notice has been given to the

owner of any vehicle in relation to which the power is to be exercised’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

29

Page  213,  line  7  [Schedule  12],  at end insert ‘, before doing either of those things,’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

30

Page  213,  line  12  [Schedule  12],  leave out sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) and insert—

‘(3)
The enforcement agent must deliver the notice to any relevant premises in a

sealed envelope addressed to the debtor.

(4)
Premises are relevant if the enforcement agent reasonably believes that they are

the place, or one of the places, where the debtor—

(a)
usually lives, or

(b)
carries on a trade or business.’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

31

Page  213,  line  37  [Schedule  12],  leave out ‘Before the end of the minimum period’

Notices of Amendments: 20th June 2007
1377

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill–[ [], continued

and insert ‘If a vehicle is clamped or removed under the provisions of this Schedule’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

32

Page  214,  line  1  [Schedule  12],  leave out sub-paragraph (2).

Mr Austin Mitchell

33

Page  44,  line  6  [Clause  58],  leave out from ‘as’ to end of line 10 and insert ‘a

constable’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

34

Page  44,  line  11  [Clause  58],  leave out subsections (4) and (5).

Mr Austin Mitchell

35

Page  44,  line  29  [Clause  59],  at end insert—

‘(ba)
for certificates to be issued to—

(i)
officers of a Government department, and

(ii)
persons appointed under section 2(1) of the Courts Act 2003 who

are directly employed by a Government department or an

executive agency;’.

Enforcement by taking control of goods

Mr Austin Mitchell

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
There shall be a form of enforcement against corporeal moveable property for

recovery of money owed that it is to be known as taking control of goods.

(2)
Taking control of goods shall include selling them to recover a sum of money.

(3)
Schedule 12 applies where an enactment, writ or warrant confers power to take

control of goods.

(4)
Regulations may make provision about taking control of goods, including

provision determining the time when control is taken.

(5)
Any liability of an enforcement agent (including criminal liability) arising out of

his securing goods on a highway is excluded to the extent that he acted in

accordance with Schedule 12 and with reasonable care.’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

36

Page  208,  line  28  [Schedule  12],  at end insert ‘and only if they are not money,

clothing, bedding, furniture, household equipment and provisions as are necessary for

satisfying the basic domestic needs of the debtor and his or her family or such tools or

other items of equipment as are necessary for the debtor to continue in his business,

employment, vocation or education.

(2)
Regulations may clarify, limit or expand the exemptions in subparagraph (1),

including but not limited to placing an upper monetary limit on the value of a

protected item where necessary.’.

Notices of Amendments: 20th June 2007
1378

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill–[ [], continued

Mr Austin Mitchell

37

Page  43,  line  21,  leave out Clause 57.

Mr Austin Mitchell

38

Page  209,  line  14  [Schedule  12],  leave out paragraph 13.

Mr Austin Mitchell

39

Page  210,  line  8  [Schedule  12],  leave out from beginning to end of line 28 on page

212 and insert—

‘(7)
An enforcement agent may if necessary use reasonable force to enter relevant

premises or to do anything for which the entry is authorised if any of these

conditions are met—

(a)
the conditions of paragraph 15 (re-entry to inspect or remove controlled

goods) are met, or

(b)
in all other cases, if the premises contain no living or domestic

accommodation.’.

Re-entry to inspect or remove controlled goods

15  (1)
An enforcement agent may re-enter any premises where there are controlled

goods which have not been removed by the enforcement agent.

      (2)
The enforcement agent may if necessary use reasonable force to enter the

premises to inspect the goods or to remove them for storage or sale.

      (3)
This paragraph authorises repeated re-entry to the same premises, subject to

any restrictions in regulations.

General provisions about entry and re-entry

16  (1)
The enforcement agent must on request show the debtor and any person who

appears to him to be in charge of the premises evidence of—

(a)
his identity, and

(b)
his authority to enter the premises.

      (2)
The request may be made before the enforcement agent enters the premises or

while he is there.

      (3)
The enforcement agent may take other people onto the premises who may

assist the enforcement agent in exercising any power, including a power to use

force, but who may not remain on the premises without the enforcement agent.

      (4)
The enforcement agent may take any equipment onto the premises and may

leave equipment on the premises if he leaves controlled goods there.

      (5)
The enforcement agent may enter and remain on the premises only within

prescribed times of day.

      (6)
Regulations may give the court power in prescribed circumstances to authorise

him to enter or remain on the premises at other times.

      (7)
The enforcement agent must leave the premises as effectively secured as he

finds them. General provisions about the use of force to enter and re-enter

apply.

17  (1)
This paragraph applies where an enforcement agent has power to use

reasonable force if necessary to enter premises.

      (2)
The power to enter and any power to use force are subject to any restrictions

imposed by or under regulations.

Notices of Amendments: 20th June 2007
1379

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill–[ [], continued

      (3)
A power to use force does not include power to use force against persons.

Notices and lists of goods

18  (1)
After entering or re-entering premises the enforcement agent must provide a

notice for the debtor giving information about what the enforcement agent is

doing. Regulations must state—

(a)
the form of the notice; and

(b)
what information it must give.

      (2)
Regulations may prescribe circumstances in which a notice need not be

provided after re-entry to premises.

      (3)
If the debtor is on the premises when the enforcement agent is there, the

enforcement agent must give him the notice then.

      (4)
If the debtor is not there, the enforcement agent must leave the notice in a

conspicuous place on the premises.

      (5)
If the enforcement agent knows that there is someone else there or that there

are other occupiers, a notice he leaves under sub-paragraph (1) must be in a

sealed envelope addressed to the debtor.

      (6)
If the debtor is absent from the premises, the enforcement agent must leave at

the premises a list of any goods he takes away.

      (7)
If the enforcement agent knows that there is someone else there or that there

are other occupiers, a list he leaves under sub-paragraph (6) must be in a sealed

envelope addressed to the debtor.’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

40

Page  217,  line  24  [Schedule  12],  leave out sub-paragraph (2).

Mr Austin Mitchell

41

Page  206,  line  31  [Schedule  12],  at end insert—

‘Protection from disproportionate enforcement action

3A
The Secretary of State shall issue guidance to ensure that the poor, vulnerable

and socially excluded people are protected from disproportionate enforcement

action.’.

Mr Austin Mitchell

42

Page  110,  line  3  [Clause  143],  at end insert—

‘(4A)
No order may be made under this section to bring Chapter 1 of Part 3 into force

unless the provisions of section [Independent regulatory authority for bailiffs and

enforcement agents] have been complied with.’.