§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many of the civil process prisoners committed to prison by magistrates' courts in 1963 were committed for non-payment of wife's maintenance, bastardy arrears, rates, children's maintenance, income tax and other debts; and what was the average number of prisoners in each category who were in custody at any one time.
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE HOME OFFICE (LORD STONHAM)The information is given in the following table:—
Civil process prisoners committed by magistrates' courts during 1963 for non-payment of: — Wife's maintenance Bastardy arrears Rates Children's maintenance Income tax Other debts Receptions into prison: (a) Males 2,271 312 384 417 55 185 (b) Females — — 26 13 1 5 Average number of persons in custody at any one time: (a) Males 181 43 36 Not available> (b) Females — — 2 House adjourned at twenty-nine-minutes before eight o'clock.