New Clause 2
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill [Lords]
9:15 am
Simon Hughes (Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs & Shadow Attorney General, Constitutional Affairs; North Southwark and Bermondsey, Liberal Democrat)
We are indeed very supportive of the new clause, and the Minister indicated the other day that she was sympathetic to it, so we are hopeful that we will make some progress.
When we added our names to the new clause, Ihad not anticipated that the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East, with his military background, would see uniforms as the way of sexing up the Bill, but there we are. I understand now that that idea is compatible with his past and links his past with his present, and it may be an additional argument in favour of the new clause.
There is a strong case for this proposal. People often do not know who is at their door; people often claim to be people whom they are not, and people regularly allege that they have a right to enter a property. We often read in local papers all over the country that people pretend to have authority on behalf of a utility company, a bank or finance company. One way of minimising that risk is to ensure that people are in uniform. I remember that we had such a debate in another Committee, when we were considering legislation in relation to people who have a right to come into people’s homes.
I hope that the Minister is sympathetic to thenew clause. We do not pretend that the drafting is perfect, but it seems to be a perfectly good, sensible proposition, which is absolutely in accord with the public mood about how bailiffs and those in the enforcement agencies should conduct their business.I therefore hope that the Minister will give us a sympathetic response.