Member

It is worth considering as well at this stage how these orders will be triggered. As with other aspects of the Bill, it will be based on algorithms indicating when a person’s account goes above a certain threshold, triggering an automated system whereby account information will be required from banks and money can be taken away. I will return to the problem of algorithms in another group but, for now, there are two things to reflect on. What if someone receives a gift of money deposited in their bank account? What if someone has not spent as much as usual in a particular month? Are we seriously saying that someone who has been given, say, £50 for their birthday or has been thrifty, meaning they have an extra few pounds in their account, could trigger the mechanism in the Bill that suggests that they must be doing something dodgy, so suddenly the Minister is able to see their account information?