Clause 6 - Making of order

Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:45 am on 15 November 2001.

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Photo of Ian Davidson Ian Davidson Labour/Co-operative, Glasgow Pollok 10:45, 15 November 2001

Not necessarily. The point was well made, but I have very little experience on the issue. As my hon. Friend the Minister says when he does not have an answer, I shall go away and reflect on the point that has been made. No doubt I shall raise another point in future—and you may or may not rule me out of order, Mr. O'Brien, depending on whether it is relevant.

Civil liberties are about balance. Some members of the civil liberties lobby do not fully recognise that the world has moved on from the time when I and many others were first active in the movement, with which I am still involved. In those days, the scale of poverty, crime and misery caused by drug addiction and all its consequential effects was not what it is now.

The existing system has been shown to be unable to cope with the pressures on it, so changes must be made. I shall make a point that has been made before: the civil liberties of people in my area who are effectively under house arrest after 5 o'clock or even noon must also be taken into account and a balance struck. The Bill is all about attacking the Mr. Bigs, many of whom I suspect live in areas such as Beaconsfield rather than mine.

I spoke earlier about the judiciary and the courts. This country has almost a tradition of leniency on white-collar crime. I am thinking back to people such as Ernest Saunders and the subsequent amazing cure of his Alzheimer's disease. People involved in such offences have not been pursued as vigorously as they should have been by the courts. That is part of the reason why I have no confidence in them and why we must have mandatory rather than discretionary provision.

Before I finish, I give Opposition Members the opportunity to raise any point that I have missed.