§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the sum of £4,070,279 of outstanding fines were for motoring offences; and if he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory for courts to sentence to a term of imprisonment persons found guilty of a motoring offence and fined, who subsequently fail to pay such a fine.
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§ Mr. Elystan MorganOf the total of £4,070,279, £2,316,307 was the amount recorded as being payable to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport in respect of certain motoring offences. Parliament recently enacted provisions designed to reduce the incidence of imprisonment as a means of fine enforcement; my right hon. Friend does not contemplate fresh legislation to reverse the position, or to differentiate in this respect between motoring and other offences.