§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department,(1) how many people were taken to court during 1975 for failing to pay a fixed penalty traffic offence; how many of those were prosecuted successfully; how many of those prosecuted failed to pay the fines following conviction; and how many were imprisoned for failing to pay these fines;
(2) what was the total amount of fines paid during the year 1975 for fixed penalty traffic offences.
§ Dr. SummerskillInformation relating to 1975 is not yet available.
£4,565,674 was paid in fixed penalties in respect of notices issued in England and Wales in 1974. It is not an offence to fail to pay a fixed penalty, but the person concerned is then liable to prosecution for the original alleged offence. 122,981 prosecutions were brought in such circumstances in respect of notices issued in 1974. Information on the outcome of those proceedings is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current outstanding amount of fines for fixed penalty traffic offences, owed but not yet paid, allowing for the 21 day period permitted to pay such fines.
§ Dr. SummerskillI regret that information about outstanding fixed penalties is not available.
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost of administering the fixed penalty traffic offences in 1975.
§ Dr. SummerskillI regret that this cost cannot be separaely identified.