Colin Naylor, Co-Chairman of CIVEA (the Civil Enforcement Association) and Managing Director of Dukes Bailiffs, has welcomed the publication of the updated National Standards, but says the public should be aware these are the industry's own standards, not something simply being imposed by Government.

"All the signatories to these standards are members of CIVEA and already committed to the practices and standards contained in this document" he says. "It's most welcome that the Ministry of Justice has been the catalyst for formalising and publishing the guidelines because this gives them substantial additional weight, however, it would be wrong to suppose that they have been imposed on the industry by Government".

The power of technology is being harnessed to make the industry more efficient, accountable and professional.

With the current public consultation on implementation of Part 3 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act our industry will take a further step along the path to a fully transparent, fair code of practice and operating principles.

All of us who believe in the future of the industry welcome developments that mean our clients and the wider public can understand better the valuable job we do.

There is no doubt that the future of CIVEA is inextricably bound up with the prospects for the collection and enforcement sector generally and for all the individual companies within it.

My personal view is that if one organisation can fairly and equitably represent all its members, then this is unquestionably the ideal outcome.

I'm cautiously optimistic about the future but the collection and enforcement community must react in an organised way to guarantee a competitive and fair market for everyone. In my new role as Co-Chairman of the new organisation - CIVEA - I will always defend the role of the smaller companies and speak up to remind local authorities of the value they add to the marketplace.