§ Mr. Lawlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek 114W to make it mandatory for magistrates, when ratepayers appear in court for nonpayment of rates and/or costs, and are committed to prison, to allow them to visit their banks or homes, under escort, to collect funds to discharge the committal order, and thus avoid further overcrowding of prisons.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsNo. The law already provides ample opportunity for payment before an application is made for committal to prison, and the court may not commit to prison if it is of the opinion that failure to pay was not due to wilful refusal or culpable neglect. Once a committal warrant has been issued it would not be practicable for the defaulter to be escorted from place to place for the purpose of collecting funds.
§ Mr. Lawlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been committed to prison in the 12 months preceding 7th March, 1970 for non-payment of rates and/or court costs.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsDuring the 12 months ended 31st December, 1968, being the latest period for which figures are available, 551 people were received into prisons in England and Wales on committal for non-payment of rates. I cannot say in how many of these cases costs were also involved.