Lord Clark of Windermereasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress they have made on the review of enforcement of civil court debt. [HL2280]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)I am pleased to announce the publication of the White PaperEffective Enforcement which sets out legislative proposals to improve methods of recovery for civil 76WA court debt and commercial rent and a single regulatory regime for warrant enforcement agents.
It is crucial that creditors who have established a legitimate claim should be able to pursue it through a straightforward and accessible system and, if necessary, enforce a judgment by the most appropriate means. Equally, debtors who genuinely do not have the means to pay should be protected from the oppressive pursuit of their debts.
The White Paper contains detailed proposals for a single regulatory structure, unified law and a fairer fee structure for all enforcement agents to enable straightforward, effective warrant enforcement and protect vulnerable debtors who genuinely cannot pay. The paper also sets out revised procedures for attachment of earnings and charging orders and improved access to information to assist enforcement.
The paper builds on the Green Paper Towards Effective Enforcement, published in July 2001, and the responses to this consultation paper, published in May 2002.