§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that on 30th June, 1970, there was a sum of £5,434,049 of fines outstanding, a great proportion of which have accrued over the years for which the time for payment had expired; and if he will make a statement on the progress of discussions into ways of improving the collection of fines.
§ Mr. CarlisleConsultations are in train on means of improving the present338W arrangements for collecting fines, but, as indicated in replies to previous Questions by the hon. Member, I do not accept the implication in the first part of his Question.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, as a means of assisting in introducing a new wage and salary scale for the police and to save public expenditure on increased police pay, he will seek powers to introduce a system of productivity payments on a basis of the police receiving 50 per cent. of the recovery of fines which have been outstanding for more than six months; and how much would accrue to the police if the arrears of £2,921,000 of fines in 1967, £3,749,625, and £4,759,051, were cleared on this basis.
§ Mr. CarlisleAs regards the first part of the question, No; the second part is therefore hypothetical, and the work involved in making an estimate would not be justified.