Written question asked by Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 15 February 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 February 2008. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 March 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Debt Collection: Regulation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to bring the regulation of private bailiffs within the purview of the Security Industry Authority; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: The Ministry of Justice will publish on its website in March the analysis of responses to their consultation paper, ““Regulation of Enforcement Agents””. This recommends regulation of enforcement agents by the SIA. The Home Office has started work, with the Ministry of Justice, to draft an affirmative order which will amend Schedule 2 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to extend the remit of the SIA to licence enforcement agents. We aim for this to be laid before Parliament later this year, with a common commencement date in 2009. Further details about the timescale will be in the Final Impact Assessment, which the Ministry of Justice will publish later in the year.

Secondary information