§ Mr. Dewarasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total of fines imposed in the sheriff and district courts, respectively, in each of the past three years for which figures are available; how much in each year remained unpaid; and what percentage this was of the total imposed.
§ Mr. Harry Ewing:The amounts of fines imposed in sheriff courts in each of the past three years were as follows:—
1975–76 £3,043,866 1976–77 £3,404,898 1977–78 £4,311,277 The amounts of fines imposed in sheriff courts which were outstanding at the end of each of the past three financial years were as follows: —
As percentageof fines imposed in that year 1975–76 £754,168 25 1976–77 £995,524 29 1977–78 £1,284,901 30 These figures do not distinguish between amounts not yet liable to be paid— because time has been allowed for payment or payment is being made by instalments— and amounts overdue for payment since the courts do not keep records of the aggregate amounts actually overdue for payment at any date. The amounts of fines"written off"after a period of three years as irrecoverable in sheriff courts are as follows:
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As percentageof fines imposed in that year 1975–76 £16,452 0.54 1976–77 £23,805 0.70 1977–78 £26,440 0.61 The above information relates to sheriff courts only. My Department has no similar information about fines in district courts which are administered by the district councils.
§ Mr. Dewarasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can make any estimate of the amount collected in fines in any convenient year paid to obtain that person's release after the convicted person had been committed to prison for nonpayment of the fine.
§ Mr. Harry Ewing:It is estimated that the amount paid into prisons and young offenders institutions in 1977 to obtain the release of a convicted person after reception to prison for non-payment of a fine was £155,000.
§ Mr. Dewarasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were received into prison in Scotland for the non-payment of fines; what percentage this represents of the total number of admissions for the latest convenient period; and what is the average length of imprisonment of those received for nonpayment of fines.
§ Mr. Harry Ewing:In 1977, 7,426 persons were received into penal establishments in Scotland for the non-payment of fines. They represented 42.3 per cent. of the total number of receptions on sentence during that year. The average length of sentence due to be served at time of admission for default of payment was 42 days. The actual period served is estimated to be between two and three weeks on average.