Oral Answers to Questions

Shailesh Vara Excerpts

Tuesday 8th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

17. What steps he is taking to protect families and vulnerable people from aggressive bailiffs.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Shailesh Vara)]

May I begin by thanking the Justice Secretary, the shadow Justice Secretary and the hon. Member for Cardiff West (Kevin Brennan) for their kind words of welcome? I thank them for the warmth that I have received from both sides of the House.

From next April, new protections in law will include restrictions on the circumstances in which bailiffs can enter someone’s home, when they can do so and the items they can take. Moreover, training for bailiffs will include what to do if a debtor is vulnerable.

[John Glen]

I thank the Minister for that answer and welcome him to his new post. My constituent Ian Davies came to see me because his son was hassled by debt collectors for over six months—they were not updated when the amount of legal aid he needed to pay changed. What steps are being taken to ensure better communication between the Legal Services Commission and the enforcement agencies?

[Mr Vara]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for those comments. A considerable amount is being done at the moment. and he will forgive me if I say that I have not reached the relevant page in my briefing pack yet, but I will write to him with the answer, which I hope will satisfy him.

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

I thank the Minister for his answer, but how much harder will all these changes make it for rogue bailiffs to operate?

[Mr Vara]

A huge number of reforms are being put in place. With regard to rogue bailiffs, we have put in place a number of remedies. For example, if there is a debt to a local authority, there is recourse to the local authority’s ombudsman. Bailiffs’ certificates can be taken away and it is a criminal offence for a bailiff to operate without a certificate. Moreover, the goods that have been confiscated can be returned. So a number of measures are in place to ensure rogue bailiffs do not operate.

[Simon Danczuk (Rochdale) (Lab)]

20. Whether he has any further plans to reduce the number of courts in England and Wales.

[Mr Speaker]

Questions are something like buses; none for a while, then two at once.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Shailesh Vara)]

Very much so, Mr Speaker. I am happy to say that performance is the best it has ever been, against a background of increasing work load. The Office of the Public Guardian is also currently undertaking a review of its supervision function in order to ensure it can continue to safeguard vulnerable adults and deal with work load.

[Simon Danczuk]

I am obviously concerned about the number of magistrates courts that have been closed since this Government came to power. Rochdale magistrates court has remained empty since the Government decided to close it over two years ago. How much is it costing to keep courts empty, and why do the Government not simply donate Rochdale court to the people of Rochdale for community use?

[Mr Vara]

We are moving to the disposal of assets gradually, but it does take time.

[Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.