§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many police authority areas have police used spot fines powers to deter dangerous cycling; and if he will make a statement. [98345]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe police do not have the powers to issue fixed penalty notices for the offence of dangerous cycling. In order to assist the police to deal with inconsiderate cycling on the pavement, we 795W introduced from 1 August 1999 a fixed penalty for the offence of cycling on the pavement. The fixed penalty is not an on the spot fine: payment is not required on the spot and the person receiving it can challenge its issue in court.
Information about how many police forces have issued fixed penalty notices for cycling on the pavement is not yet available. Each police force has been asked to monitor the fixed penalty provisions which came into force on 1 August 1999, but the details are not likely to be available until early in the new year.