My honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Transformation) (Andrew Western MP) has made the following Written Statement.

I would like to advise the House that today the Government is publishing the response to the public consultation on the Codes of Practice (“Codes”) associated with the Public Authorities...

My honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Transformation) (Andrew Western MP) has made the following Written Statement.

I would like to advise the House that today the Government is publishing the response to the public consultation on the Codes of Practice (“Codes”) associated with the Public Authorities...

I would like to advise the House that today the Government is publishing the response to the public consultation on the Codes of Practice (“Codes”) associated with the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) (PAFER) Act 2025. The response explains how the public’s views were considered and, where appropriate, reflected...

I would like to advise the House that today the Government is publishing the response to the public consultation on the Codes of Practice (“Codes”) associated with the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) (PAFER) Act 2025. The response explains how the public’s views were considered and, where appropriate, reflected...

My Lords, I warmly welcome these amendments in the name of the noble Viscount, Lord Younger. I appreciated the detail that he went into because it is important that we remember that these direct deduction orders are real instruments of power. I am interested in how they will be used...

My Lords, I warmly welcome these amendments in the name of the noble Viscount, Lord Younger. I appreciated the detail that he went into because it is important that we remember that these direct deduction orders are real instruments of power. I am interested in how they will be used...

My Lords, I am pleased in this instance to express my strong support for Amendments 99D and Amendment 109ZA, tabled by the noble Viscount, Lord Younger, and the noble Baroness, Lady Finn. I have not been quite so firm in my support for others, but Amendment 99D would ensure that,...

My Lords, I am pleased in this instance to express my strong support for Amendments 99D and Amendment 109ZA, tabled by the noble Viscount, Lord Younger, and the noble Baroness, Lady Finn. I have not been quite so firm in my support for others, but Amendment 99D would ensure that,...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Viscount for his amendments and to all noble Lords who have spoken. We all want to ensure that, when someone who is subject to these debt recovery powers is vulnerable, we are aware of that and take appropriate steps to treat them...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Viscount for his amendments and to all noble Lords who have spoken. We all want to ensure that, when someone who is subject to these debt recovery powers is vulnerable, we are aware of that and take appropriate steps to treat them...

My Lords, I am very grateful for the thoughtful and supportive contributions from the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, and

the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, which we have heard throughout this debate. As it draws to a close, I want to return to the fundamental values that underpin Amendments 99D and...

My Lords, I am very grateful for the thoughtful and supportive contributions from the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, and

the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, which we have heard throughout this debate. As it draws to a close, I want to return to the fundamental values that underpin Amendments 99D and...

Moved by

Baroness Sherlock

100: Clause 89, page 56, leave out lines 6 and 7 and insert—

“(i) the period mentioned in section 71ZK(6)(a) for P to appeal against the outcome of the review has passed without P bringing an appeal, or”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on my amendment to clause 89,...

Moved by

Baroness Sherlock

100: Clause 89, page 56, leave out lines 6 and 7 and insert—

“(i) the period mentioned in section 71ZK(6)(a) for P to appeal against the outcome of the review has passed without P bringing an appeal, or”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on my amendment to clause 89,...

Moved by

Baroness Fox of Buckley

102: Schedule 5, page 104, line 19, leave out “make” and insert “apply to the appropriate court for”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes the power of the Secretary of State to make direct deduction orders and instead provides for direct deduction orders to be made only by...

Moved by

Baroness Fox of Buckley

102: Schedule 5, page 104, line 19, leave out “make” and insert “apply to the appropriate court for”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes the power of the Secretary of State to make direct deduction orders and instead provides for direct deduction orders to be made only by...

My Lords, in moving Amendment 102, I shall speak also to Amendment 122. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, for putting his name to these amendments.

These amendments are similar to those that I tabled in an earlier group in relation to Part 1. In this instance,...

My Lords, in moving Amendment 102, I shall speak also to Amendment 122. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, for putting his name to these amendments.

These amendments are similar to those that I tabled in an earlier group in relation to Part 1. In this instance,...

My Lords, I rise briefly to support the amendments so powerfully, and with considerable detail, explained by the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley. I want to cross-reference a couple of things. I was unable to be here for the whole discussion on the last group in this Committee but...

My Lords, I rise briefly to support the amendments so powerfully, and with considerable detail, explained by the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley. I want to cross-reference a couple of things. I was unable to be here for the whole discussion on the last group in this Committee but...

My Lords, I will speak briefly to Amendments 102 and 122, which would require the Secretary of State to apply to the court for a direct deduction order—a DDO. I confess that I am struggling a bit to understand the circumstances in which the Secretary of State would be able...

My Lords, I will speak briefly to Amendments 102 and 122, which would require the Secretary of State to apply to the court for a direct deduction order—a DDO. I confess that I am struggling a bit to understand the circumstances in which the Secretary of State would be able...

My Lords, I am proud to support Amendments 102 and 122, which I tabled alongside the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley. Amendment 102 proposes that the power to make direct deduction orders should rest with the courts following an application from the Secretary of State, rather than allowing the...

My Lords, I am proud to support Amendments 102 and 122, which I tabled alongside the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley. Amendment 102 proposes that the power to make direct deduction orders should rest with the courts following an application from the Secretary of State, rather than allowing the...

My Lords, I have a degree of sympathy for the amendment in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, and the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill. It touches on a value that I know many of us across this House instinctively support: namely, that powers which interfere...

My Lords, I have a degree of sympathy for the amendment in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, and the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill. It touches on a value that I know many of us across this House instinctively support: namely, that powers which interfere...

My Lords, I am grateful for some really good questions. These are exactly the kind of questions the Lords Committee should be asking on these sorts of issues, and I hope to give decent answers.

Should I ever get round to writing a book, somewhere in the credits it will say...

My Lords, I am grateful for some really good questions. These are exactly the kind of questions the Lords Committee should be asking on these sorts of issues, and I hope to give decent answers.

Should I ever get round to writing a book, somewhere in the credits it will say...

The noble Baroness has not answered one question that I had. My understanding from Clause 89 is that these DDO rights—or however one describes them—can be used only where a person is convicted of an offence under this Act or any other enactment, or agrees to pay a penalty under...

The noble Baroness has not answered one question that I had. My understanding from Clause 89 is that these DDO rights—or however one describes them—can be used only where a person is convicted of an offence under this Act or any other enactment, or agrees to pay a penalty under...

I apologise; I forgot to answer that. No, it does not. These measures apply to any kind of overpayment but, as I described, they are only matters of last resort. We have to have gone through all the other possibilities and people must simply have failed to engage. So this...

I apologise; I forgot to answer that. No, it does not. These measures apply to any kind of overpayment but, as I described, they are only matters of last resort. We have to have gone through all the other possibilities and people must simply have failed to engage. So this...

I thank the noble Lords who spoke on these amendments for appreciating—even if they did not support—the spirit of what they are trying to do. Despite that, I do actually want to do this rather than just wanting the spirit. But I know that the noble Viscount, Lord Younger, feels...

I thank the noble Lords who spoke on these amendments for appreciating—even if they did not support—the spirit of what they are trying to do. Despite that, I do actually want to do this rather than just wanting the spirit. But I know that the noble Viscount, Lord Younger, feels...

Will the noble Baroness give way?

Will the noble Baroness give way?