Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 4:30 pm ar 27 Tachwedd 2001.
No, I was not going round in circles, I was moving on to subsection (9). It would be potentially dangerous to repeat what I said several times before lunch, but I want to draw the Minister's attention to the fact that we are watering down the powers to raise money and to confiscate by saying, once again, that notwithstanding what the court feels that it should impose, if the convicted person cannot afford it, it will be a lesser amount. I have said several times that that is not a sensible way to proceed. It seems to me that if a court feels that the amount of money that should be taken from somebody is X, then it should be X irrespective. If the person cannot afford it, that is tough luck. The hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollok has arrived just as I am saying something that will be music to his ears.