§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Home Secretary how many persons were imprisoned in England during last year for failing to implement decrees ad factum praestandum; what was the longest period served by one person, what was the shortest period, and what was the total period for all; what was the total charge on public funds in respect of such imprisonment; and what was the total cost to creditors on whose behalf such imprisonment was imposed?
§ Sir J. AndersonI have made inquiry and I regret that separate particulars are not available of the kind of case which I understand the hon. and learned Member has in mind.
630W
§ Mr. Gibsonasked the Home Secretary how many persons were imprisoned in England during last year for failing to pay debts; what was the longest period spent in prison by one person; what was the shortest period, and what was the total period for all; and what was the total cost to public funds, and to incarcerating creditors, respectively, in respect of such imprisonment?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe latest information available is in respect of the year 1938. In that year 3,357 males and 62 females were committed to prison from county courts, and nearly all were committed for failure to comply with an order or judgment to pay a debt. It would not be possible without the expenditure of much time and labour to supply the information asked for in the second and third parts of the Question. The maximum period for which a person may be committed to prison in such circumstances is six weeks; though in practice the period of committal seldom exceeds four weeks and may be only a few days. As regards the last part of the Question, there is no separate record of the cost of maintenance of debtor prisoners. No part of this cost is borne by the creditors.
§ Mr. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were imprisoned for debt in Scotland during the last available year; what was the longest, the shortest and the total period of such imprisonment; what was the total cost to the Exchequer and to the incarcerating creditors, respectively, in respect of such imprisonment?
§ Mr. E. BrownImprisonment for debt is not competent in Scotland except in the case of taxes, rates and assessments and aliment. During the year 1939 one person was imprisoned for non-payment of taxes, two persons were imprisoned for non-payment of rates and assessments, and 112 persons for non-payment of aliment. The longest, shortest and total periods of such imprisonment were 42 days, I day, and 1,564 days respectively. The extra cost to the Exchequer for victualling, clothing, bedding, furniture, medicines, etc., by reason of the admission of these persons to prison is estimated at £51 1s. 10d. and the cost to the incarcerating local authority in the cases of non-payment of rates and assessments was £1 18s. In the other cases no payment fell to be made by the creditors.
631W
§ Mr. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were imprisoned in Scotland during the last available year for failing to comply with orders ad factum praestandum; what was the longest, shortest and the total period of such imprisonments; and what was the total cost to the Exchequer and to the incarcerating creditors, respectively, in respect of such imprisonment?
§ Mr. BrownDuring the year 1939 the number of persons imprisoned in Scotland for failing to comply with ordersad factum praestandum was 10. The longest, the shortest, and the total periods of such imprisonment were 42 days, 3 days, and 207 days respectively. The extra cost to the Exchequer for victualling, clothing, bedding, furniture, medicine, etc., by reason of the admission to prison of these persons is estimated at £7 0s. 6d. and the cost to the incarcerating creditors was £1 8s. 7d.