The Civil Procedure Rules 1998

Attachment of debts, etc.E+W

Rule 16—(1) No order—

(a)for the attachment of debts [F1under CPR Part 72], or

(b)for the appointment of a sequestrator under Order 45, or

(c)for the appointment of a receiver under Order 30 or 51,

shall be made or have effect in respect of any money due or accruing due, or alleged to be due or accruing due, from the Crown.

(1A) No application shall be made under paragraph (2) unless the order of the court to be enforced is for a sum of money amounting in value to at least £50.

(2) Every application to the Court for an order under section 27 (1) of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947(1) restraining any person from receiving money payable to him by the Crown and directing payment of the money to the applicant or some other person must be made by claim form and, unless the Court otherwise directs, served—

(a)on the Crown at least 15 days before the return day, and

(b)on the person to be restrained or his solicitor at least 7 days after the claim form has been served on the Crown and at least 7 days before the return day.

(2A) An application under paragraph (2) must be supported by a witness statement or affidavit—

(a)setting out the facts giving rise to the application;

(b)stating the name and last known address of the person to be restrained;

(c)identifying the order to be enforced and stating the amount of such order and the amount remaining unpaid under it at the time of the application, and

(d)identifying the particular debt from the Crown in respect of which the application is made.

(2B) Where the debt from the Crown in respect of which the application is made is money payable by the Crown to a person on account of a deposit in the National Savings Bank, the witness statement or affidavit must state the name and address of the branch F2... at which the account is believed to be held and the number of that account or, if it be the case, that all or part of this information is not known to the witness.

(2C) A Master, the Admiralty Registrar and a district judge of the Family Division shall have power to hear an application under paragraph (2).

[F3(3) CPR rule 72.8 shall apply in relation to such an application as is mentioned in paragraph (2) for an order restraining a person from receiving money payable to him by the Crown as that rule applies to an application under CPR rule 72.2 for a third party debt order, except that the court shall not have power to order enforcement to issue against the Crown.]

(1)

1947 c. 44; section 27(1) was amended by the Supreme Court Act 1981 (c. 54), section 139(1) and schedule 7.