Member

However, I have heard the concern raised about this measure in the other place, so I am introducing Government amendments (a) to (f) in lieu of Lords amendment 97 to clause 76 and schedule 4, to draw a distinction between the power of reasonable force exercisable by DWP authorised investigators, and that exercisable by police officers. These amendments remove the power of reasonable force derived from section 117 of PACE, and instead create a stand-alone provision on reasonable force in this Bill. They restrict DWP authorised investigators’ access to reasonable force, so that it is force against property only, while retaining the police’s power to use reasonable force where necessary against people and property. This delivers the policy intent, but brings the DWP’s power of reasonable force outside of PACE.