Clause 1 - Withholding of housing benefit on grounds of anti-social behaviour
Housing Benefit (Withholding of Payment) Bill
9:00 am
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere, Conservative)
I was trying to summarise. If the hon. Gentleman reads the Bill carefully—it might save time were he to do so—he will find that subsection (1) refers to
''on any occasion a person . . . is convicted of one of more offences by or before a court''.
Paragraph (b), to which the amendment relates, provides the qualification that
''a custodial sentence of a year or more is not imposed on the offender in respect of the conviction, or any of the convictions.''
The hon. Gentleman might read a little further on, to subsection (2), which states:
''If it appears to the prosecutor that, by reason of any or all of the conduct giving rise to the conviction or convictions, the offender may have behaved in an anti-social manner, the prosecutor must notify the court to that effect.''
I believe that that answers his question, although he might want to ask further questions. I am explaining the Bill, but I shall give way to him if he wants to make another point.