HC Deb 15 January 1974 vol 867 cc76-7W
Mr. Dell

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will state the extent to which the offences for which they were fined of those persons who in 1970, 1971 and 1972 were committed to prison in default of payment of fines for up to one month, and who served more than 80 per cent. of their sentences, were indictable or non-indictable ; and whether he will give among those fined for non-indictable offences the proportion convicted of each of the offences listed in the Prison Statistics Table D.3 ;

(2) whether he will state, for persons who in 1972 were imprisoned in default of payment of fines for drunkenness, how many men and how many women were given time to pay ; and how many of those given and not given time to pay served more than 80 per cent. of their sentences.

PERSONS (MALE AND FEMALE) COMMITTED TO PRISON FOR DEFAULT OF PAYMENT OF FINES
Proportion of Sentence Served
Length of Sentence (the words "up to" mean "up to and including")* Number of persons discharged† Over 10 per cent. Over 50 per cent. per cent. Percentage Over 80 per cent. of Discharges Over 95 per cent
1970
Up to 1 month … 6,116 90 71 60 43
Over 1 up to 2 months … 1,909 77 58 10 5
Over 2 up to 3 months … 755 77 53 1 1
Over 3 up to 6 months … 195 72 40 1 1
Over 6 months … 28 71 46 — —
1971
Up to 1 month … 6,441 88 70 60 42
Over 1 up to 2 months … 2,331 77 60 11 4
Over 2 up to 3 months … 997 76 56 2 1
Over 3 up to 6 months … 289 71 51 3 1
Over 6 months … 52 56 40 — —
1972
Up to 1 month … 6,456 85 67 56 39
Over 1 up to 2 months … 2,471 72 53 8 3
Over 2 up to 3 months … 1,099 71 49 2 1
Over 3 up to 6 months … 303 70 47 3 1
Over 6 months … 29 66 48 — —
* The periods shown relate to the length of sentence to be served at the time of committal to prison for default.
†The figures show the number of persons discharged from custody in the years concerned and are based on the latest available data. They exclude persons who were not released within the stated period of imprisonment because they were the subject of further charges or sentences of imprisonment.