Debt Collection: Regulation

(asked on 23rd July 2019) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Written Statement of 22 July 2019 on Enforcement Update, HCWS 1776, whether he has plans to increase the regulation of enforcement agents before work performed by civilian enforcement officers is put out to tender.


Answered by
Edward Argar Portrait
Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 3rd September 2019

As set out in the Justice Secretary’s Written Statement on bailiff reform, we will respond to the Call for Evidence and the Justice Select Committee’s report following further engagement with our stakeholders over the Summer. We will explore what barriers prevent people from making a complaint based on submissions to the Call for Evidence and meetings with our stakeholders.

Our response will also consider the case for further regulation. County Court Bailiffs, who are employees of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), and Approved Enforcement Agencies who enforce criminal orders, were not within scope of the review of enforcement agents. We will liaise with trade unions if any proposals that may arise from our consideration of the responses from the Call for Evidence directly impact on Court staff.

HMCTS are in the process of procuring a new set of contracts for Approved Enforcement Agencies (AEA) to enable the collection of criminal orders. The tender went live on 1 July 2019. We anticipate awarding contracts in December 2019, with services to commence in May 2020.

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