Clause 3 - Short title and extent
Public Trustee (Liability and Fees) Bill
10:45 am
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North, Labour)
I will seek your guidance, Mr. McWilliam, on whether my point would be better made during the stand part debate. My point is brief, but it follows from the point made by the hon. Member for Torridge and West Devon (Mr. Burnett), with whom I have served on Committees in the past. He made an excellent point about the relationship between the Official Solicitor and the Public Trustee.
My hon. Friend the Minister will know that I have been in correspondence with her Department about a Mr. Eric Walker and his Strelley social club, which became bankrupt and was wound up, leaving assets that were available for distribution to the individual surviving members. Those members are ageing, as we all are. Some have passed away. The sum to be divvied up among those members is in the hands of the Official Solicitor.
The Minister knows the ins and outs of the case. Does she feel that it is appropriate to refer to the matter of funding under clause 3(3), or should I refer to it in the clause stand part debate? That is my only technical question about the Bill.