HC Deb 19 March 1996 vol 274 cc155-6W
Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average weekly cost of keeping a fine defaulter in prison. [21115]

Miss Widdecombe

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

Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 19 March 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average weekly cost of keeping a fine defaulter in prison.

Information on the cost of prisoners according to their type of offence is not collected centrally. The average weekly net operating cost of a prison place in 1994–95 was £458.

Mrs. Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently held in prison on convictions relating to fine defaults. [21113]

Miss Widdecombe

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

Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 19 March 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, how many people are currently held in prison on convictions relating to fine defaults.

The latest available information is for 31 January 1996. On that date there were 358 persons in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of a fine.