HC Deb 21 April 1994 vol 241 cc641-3W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fine defaulters held in gaols in England and Wales were received into custody for(a) non-payment of television licence, (b) non-payment of poll or community tax, (c) non-payment of fine in respect of soliciting or loitering and (d) other reasons at the latest date available.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 21 April 1994: Fine Defaulters The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many fine defaulters held in jails in England and Wales were received into custody for (a) non-payment of television licence, (b) non-payment of poll or community tax, (c) non-payment of fine in respect of soliciting or loitering and (d) other reasons at the latest date available. The available information which is provisional for receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in 1993 is given in the attached table. The available information for non-payment of the community charge, which is classed as a non-criminal offence and not a fine default, is for 1992: it shows that 504 persons (a provisional total) were received into a Prison Service establishment for the offence. I regret to inform you that we are unable to provide information relating to loitering as it is not a separately coded offence.

Receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, 19931
Offence Number
Using a TV without a licence 845
Soliciting 7
Other 21,731
All receptions 22,583
1 Provisional figures.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were gaoled in England and Wales for fine default in each year since 1982.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 21 April 1994: Fine Defaulters The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many people were jailed in England and Wales for fine default in each year since 1982. Information on receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments for the period 1981 to 1991 is published in table 7.1 of "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1991", Cm. 2157, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons library. Provisional information for 1992 and 1993 gives the number of receptions of fine defaulters as 19,826 and 22,583 respectively.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the latest date available, how many fine defaulters in gaols in England and Wales were(a) male and (b) female.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Dick Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones dated 21 April 1994: Fine Defaulters The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, for the latest date available, how many fine defaulters in jails in England and Wales were (a) male and (b) female. On 28 February 1994 there were 481 fine defaulters—455 males and 26 females—in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average daily population of fine defaulters in gaols in England and Wales for the latest year available.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Dick Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones dated 21 April 1994: Fine Defaulters The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average daily population of fine defaulters in jails in England and Wales for the latest year available. The latest information is for 1993. The average population of fine defaulters in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales was 492 persons in 1993.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fine defaulters in gaols in England and Wales were serving(a) seven days or less, (b) eight to 14 days, (c) 15 to 21 days, (d) 22 to 28 days and (e) over 28 days at the latest date available.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 21 April 1994: Fine Defaulters The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many fine defaulters in jails in England and Wales were serving (a) seven days or less, (b)eight to 14 days,(c)15 to 21 days,(d) 22 to 28 days and (e) over 28 days at the latest date available. A breakdown of the population of fine defaulters on 30 September 1993 by the sentence lengths requested is given in the attached table.

Population of fine defaulters in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales by period imposed in default, 30 September 19931
Period imposed in default Number of persons
0 to 7 days 88
8 to 14 days 130
15 to 21 days 57
22 to 28 days 113
Over 28 days 237
All persons 625
1 Provisional figures.