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Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill [HL]

I shall revert briefly to Amendment No. 59 in my name, to which the noble Lord, Lord Newton, has just referred, and will combine it with specific inquiry into the interaction between Clause 22 and the procedures described in Clause 28. I would be grateful if the Minister could enlarge a little on how the Government practically propose to give effect to their intentions towards the particularly needed sections of the community. The cost and expenses provisions of Clause 28 are subject to the tribunal procedure rules, which we are considering under Clause 22. I am concerned about whether the unfettered power to award costs in any tribunal conferred by Clause 28(1) could be lawfully cut down by a tribunal procedure rule issued under Clause 22. Is it intended that the rules are wide enough lawfully to enable a whole class of tribunals to be exempt from the general rule in Clause 28(1)? If such an exemption is to be made possible, will the Minister use this opportunity to amplify what she said to me on Second Reading about the Government’s intention that social security and child support appeals should be exempt? Asshe knows, because she has been engaged in correspondence about this, this matter is exercising the Child Poverty Action Group. This is the point in our deliberations when we have to consider whether these rules should make specific provision to take account of these concerns. I say this to amplify the general concerns that have been expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Clinton-Davis, and other Members of this Committee.