INDEPENDENT BAILIFF REGULATOR

That this House is shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Jerome Rogers, a young bicycle courier who, after being aggressively pursued by bailiffs, felt driven to take his own life; notes the evidence from Citizens Advice of poor treatment at the hands of bailiffs across the UK; considers that the 24 per cent increase in the number of bailiff issues since reforms to the bailiff industry introduced in 2014 demonstrates that these reforms have not worked; further notes reports of enforcement agents acting inappropriately towards Citizens Advice clients, refusing offers of payments, entering homes when they ought not to and charging disproportionate or inappropriate fees; recognises that people who are visited by bailiffs are disproportionately likely to be vulnerable, with half living in social housing, one in three having a long term health condition or disability and more than a quarter being single parents with dependent children; and calls on the Government to institute fundamental reform of the sector through the introduction of an independent bailiff regulator and an independent complaints process.