Clause 48 - ENTRY TO PREMISES UNDER WARRANT
Consumer Credit Bill
10:15 am
Mr Laurence Robertson (Shadow Minister, Economic Affairs; Tewkesbury, Conservative)
I appreciate the Minister's attempt to define reasonable force, which could simply mean breaking open a locked cupboard, but it could also mean much more. If I may draw an analogy, we had a spirited debate recently in Parliament about the use of reasonable force to protect one's home, and there is much uncertainty about what that term means. It troubles me that reasonable force may include much more than breaking open a locked cupboard. I am concerned about giving that degree of power, which ordinarily is given only to police officers—who are directly accountable—for entering premises. What grade of officer will be given the power to use reasonable force? I am very troubled by subsection (3)(d), and I ask the Minister whether he is prepared to reconsider it.