To ask Her Majesty's Government in what circumstances High Court Enforcement Officers are permitted to charge debtors who owe hundreds of pounds costs of several thousand pounds; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such costs. [HL5980]

The fees chargeable by a High Court enforcement officer are contained in Schedule 3 of the High Court Enforcement Officers Regulations 2004. The regulations provide for reasonable costs to be charged as the individual circumstances of the case dictate. Any such reasonable costs can be the subject of detailed assessment upon application to the High Court. The Ministry of Justice is undertaking a detailed examination of the cost of High Court enforcement with the intention of setting a new fee structure with the implementation of Schedule 12 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.