Clause 25 - Inadequacy of available amount:
Proceeds of Crime Bill
5:45 pm
Mr Bob Ainsworth (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Coventry North East, Labour)
I may have confused the hon. Gentleman. The Bill has different sections for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. That is the only reason for the provision. We are not suggesting that the matter is a jurisdictional issue and should not apply across the border. The Bill has been written in a way that reflects the different legal framework north of the border—as we discussed in relation to criminal confiscation. This part applies to England and Wales, and a subsequent part applies to Scotland. The intention is not that the provision should not apply. The way in which the Bill has been written and the structure of the Bill leads to the words to which the hon. Gentleman draws attention.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 25 ordered to stand part of the Bill.