Petition Against Bailiff Violence

Peter Bardsley, the Chairman of a Credit Union and a development worker in one of the poorest areas in Manchester has posted a petition against Bailiff Violence on the Downing Street website. The Petition is reproduced below. Debt on our Doorstep is urging all supporters to sign it.

This morning there are 1557 signatures.

The committee stage of the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Bill starts in the House of Commons on the 15th March. The members are.

Vera Baird, Mr Henry Bellingham, Mr Richard Benyon, James Brokenshire, Mr David Drew, Mr Tobias Ellwood, Mr Robert Flello, Mr Michael Foster (Worcester), Simon Hughes, Mr David Kidney, Sarah McCarthy-Fry, Judy Mallaber, Dr Doug Naysmith, Mr Brooks Newmark, Anne Snelgrove, Emily Thornberry and Jenny Willott.

An amendment to the Bill which will restore the right to refuse entry to bailiffs has been proposed by Dood Member Zacchaeus 2000. This has been sent to every member of the committee; it will be tabled.

DOWNING STREET PETITION

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Bailiff-Violence

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to restore the ancient rights of British citizens to refuse the forced entry of bailiffs.

Background
On the 06 July 2004 Standing Committee E considering the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs did not tell the Committee that they were abolishing the rights of citizens to refuse entry to bailiffs established in around 1300, confirmed in Semayne’s case in 1604, and upheld by the courts ever since. The Committee was not informed that it was abolishing centuries of common law. Neither was the measure introduced or debated on the floor of the House of Commons. We demand this fundamental right to freedom from the threat of violence in our own homes be reinstated, and safeguarded for the protection of future generations.

Poor Pay More

The Family Welfare Association and Save the Children have issued a new report into the extent to which those on the lowest incomes pay the most for essential services, including financial services.

The report reveals that poor families could pay up to a £1000 per year extra for the most essential goods and services such as gas, electricity and insurance. As the Government struggles to get back on track to meet its child poverty target, the gains being made in terms of increased family incomes are being lost by this poverty premium.

In relation to financial services, the report states:

" While significant progress has been made on financial inclusion,there are several challenges, which are still to be met.Awareness of basic bank accounts remains too low; their use in many cases is limited; and they do not yet meet the needs of low-income customers, particularly around bill payment and flexible direct debit options.The banking industry and government must move faster on pursuing this agenda.While it is preferable that banks take a lead, driven by social responsibility or commercial strategy, the government must be willing to use incentives or regulation where appropriate, to ensure this basic need for suitable banking is met. One specific improvement to basic banking would be the introduction of a £10 overdraft buffer zone."

The report is available at http://www.fwa.org.uk/about_campaigning.html and supporters are urged to e-mail Gordon Brown from the same website.