Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill [HL]

We have a broad range of figures for the money that may be available through the scheme. I could not be pinned down to a particular figure. At Second Reading, the noble Baroness trumped me by indicating that she thought that rather more money would be available than in the Government’s more modest estimation. Well, time will tell. However, I make it clear that the reclaim fund will publish a list of participating institutions, so the public will know those which are pulling their weight in the scheme and participating voluntarily. The noble Lord, Lord Newby, is never persuaded by my arguments and will probably not accept my response. He will emphasise that law is the compulsive element in our society, as it is, but if within these voluntary terms we can get willing participation with a light touch, we may meet the point of the noble Lord, Lord Hamilton, about the time scale within which the scheme begins to realise the majority of its assets. I cannot put a figure on it, not least because many difficulties about defining the accounts will have to be worked through. But the intent is there, and the public responsiveness of the institutions will be clearly identified.