Clause 79 - Powers of entry: supplementary
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill
11:15 am
Mrs Anne McIntosh (Shadow Minister, Environment and Transport; Vale of York, Conservative)
I wish to make a small point. Subsection (4) mentions:
''The officer and any person who enters the premises''.
Only an authorised officer should enter the premises. Is the clause suggesting that someone is accompanying the authorised officer? That seems to completely contradict clause 78.
In full, the subsection says:
''The officer and any person who enters the premises with him by virtue of subsection (3) must not cause more damage to or disturbance at the premises than is necessary for the purpose of silencing the alarm.''
It adds:
''Any expenses reasonably incurred by the local authority . . . may be recovered by the authority from the responsible person.''
Will the Minister explain what happens if even minimal damage has been done to the property? Who is responsible for making good that damage? Who will pay the cost of restoring the property to the state it was in before the damage was caused by forced entry?