§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many offences of television licence fee evasion were adjudicated upon in magistrates' courts in(a) England and (b) Wales during each of the last five years; what was the cost; what proportion of the cost was borne by (i) the magistrates' courts and (ii) the BBC; and what has been the amount of fines imposed. [89558]
§ Janet AndersonThe Home Office Court Proceedings database records prosecutions under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts. The great majority, but not all, of these relate to television licence fee evasion. The reporting of prosecutions where there has been no police involvement, as in this case, is known to be incomplete. Accurate information on the cost of prosecutions under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts is not available.
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts in England and Wales for offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts from 1993–1997 was:
459W
Total Proceeded against Total convicted Total fined Average fine, where imposed (£) England 1993 182,738 157,959 154,205 113 1994 180,876 156,138 152,837 94 19951 122,635 106,694 103,976 99 1996 174,956 153,753 151,079 102 1997 86,088 71,600 70,341 105
Total proceeded against Total Convicted Total fined Average fine, where imposed (£) Wales 1993 12,130 10,747 10,560 95 1994 7,925 6,721 6,636 93 19951 8,321 7,101 6,974 94 1996 13,162 11,103 10,913 96 1997 6,661 5,405 5,279 92 1In 1995, as a result of an error in data processing procedures, there was a shortfall in the recording of data for certain summary offences, including those under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts