Ian
Pearson: The situation as I understand it is that the Bill
will give to the Treasury a power to make regulations to recover any
overpayments made. Where an overpayment has been made, HMRC would
consider the facts and circumstances of a particular case, to assess
whether it was appropriate to recover any overpayments made. We are
clear that we are dealing with people on low incomes and that we are
talking about relatively small sums of money, and I would
hope—indeed, expect—that HMRC would be extremely
sensitive to such circumstances as we are talking about. What we are
doing in subsection (2) is simply applying the normal collection and
recovery powers. I know my hon. Friend has issues about how they might
be applied in other areas, but it is right for us to have the powers.
He correctly asks us to make sure that those powers are used in a
sensible and proportionate way, which is what we would want to
do. Question
put and agreed
to. Clause
12 ordered to stand part of the
Bill. Ordered,
That further consideration be now
adjourned.—(Mr.
Blizzard.) 6.58
pm Adjourned
till Thursday 5 February at Nine
o’clock.
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