HC Deb 02 June 1992 vol 208 c403W
Mr. David Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans for future imprisonment of non-payers of fines.

Mr. Jack

Imprisonment is needed as the last resort for fine defaulters who have culpably failed or wilfully refused to pay a fine. The Criminal Justice Act 1991 which comes into effect in October this year will make fine assessment more realistic and fines easier to enforce. A new system of unit fines, relating fines more closely to an offender's ability to pay, should, together with the new power to attach fines to income support, ensure that imprisonment for default is restricted to those who have no excuse not to pay.

Number of assaults on police officers in north Wales
Offences Against the Person Act 1861
Date of offence Section 18 Section 20 Section 47 Police Act 1964 Summary section 51 Total assaults
May 1991 — — 10 8 18
June 1991 1 — 13 15 29
July 1991 — 1 8 10 19
August 1991 1 — 9 6 16
September 1991 — — 11 10 21
October 1991 — — 10 10 20
November 1991 — 3 14 14 31
December 1991 — 2 14 10 26
January 1992 — — 6 4 10
February 1992 — — 9 6 15
March 1992 — — 9 12 21
April 1992 — — 6 8 14
Total: May 1991 to April 1992 2 6 119 113 240

Offences Against the Person Act 1861:

Section 18—Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Section 20—Inflicting bodily injury.

Section 47—Assault occasioning bodily harm.

Police Act 1964:

Section 51—Assaults on constables.

Mr. Richards

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for each of the last 12 months for assaulting police officers of the North Wales constabulary whilst on duty.

Mr. Jack

The information available centrally relates to a study undertaken in the last six months of 1991 into

Number sentenced for assault on a police officer by CPS area
All offences Indictable offences1
Total sentenced Number per 100,000 population Percentage use of custody Total sentenced Number per 100,000 population Percentage use of custody
Avon and Somerset 146 12 16 30 2 20
Cambridge/Lincoln 42 4 17 23 2 217
Cheshire 51 6 22 21 3 229
Cleveland/North Yorkshire 58 5 14 13 1 28
Derbyshire 22 3 250 9 1 278
Devon and Cornwall 42 3 10 7 1 2—
Dorset/Hampshire 66 3 18 21 1 229
Essex 32 2 25 14 1 221
Gloucester/Wiltshire 91 9 16 28 3 21
Greater Manchester 97 4 15 20 1 225
Hertford/Bedford 70 5 27 27 2 30