MP Supports Call for Regulation of Bailiffs

Neil Gerrard, Labour MP for Walthamstow, is supporting calls for the regulation of bailiffs to be put into law. The Citizens Advice Bureau Services across the country have recorded a wide range of problems experienced by their clients as a result of action by bailiffs, often acting beyond their powers and outside the law.

Mr Gerrard has become Secretary of an All Party Parliamentary Group on Citizens Advice. The Group is working closely with CABs to argue for changes in the law to help vulnerable people faced with action by bailiffs.

“I have seen too many examples of bailiffs acting in ways which upset and sometimes frighten people who are in debt” said Mr Gerrard. “In some cases deceit has been used to gain entry to someone property to try to seize goods, and in other cases force has been used to enter homes, even though this is illegal.”

“I am asking the Government to use the opportunity in a forthcoming Bill to put the regulation of bailiffs on a statutory footing. Along with other MPs involved with the All Party Group I have asked to meet Government Ministers to press for action on this.”

The following motion has been put down in the House of Commons on this subject.

“That this House notes that in 2005-06 the Citizens Advice Bureau Service received over 1.4 million debt-related enquiries, and that for many years Citizens Advice Bureaux have reported a wide range of problems experienced by clients as a result of bailiff action, including bailiffs misrepresenting their powers, making false threats of imprisonment, overcharging fees, removing or threatening to remove protected and third party goods, refusing reasonable offers of repayment, harassing and intimidating clients and failing to exercise discretion in vulnerable situations; welcomes the Government's proposals in the recently published Draft Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill to introduce a single procedure for taking control of goods; is concerned, however, about the decision not to include proposals for the regulation of bailiffs in the Bill while increasing bailiffs' powers of entry; and urges the Government to include such a regulatory framework for bailiffs in the Bill.”

November 2006

Home Page     |     News & Views     |     Press Archive