HC Deb 24 April 1978 vol 948 cc422-3W
Mr. Sims

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison on the most recent convenient date for non-payment of maintenance; and what was the average length of their sentence.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

On 30th June 1977 a total of 248 people were in prison for non-payment of maintenance or affiliation arrears. Of these 215 were committed for arrears under a matrimonial order, and 33 for arrears in child maintenance.

The average term of committal is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but, in 1976, 16 per cent. of maintenance defaulters were committed to prison for up to a month and 84 per cent. for over that period.

Mr. Sims

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were committed to prison in 1977 for non-payment of maintenance; how many of these were actually received into prison; and how many of those received into prison were subsequently released before the end of the period for which they were committed, having paid the amount due.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

It is not known centrally how many people are committed to prison for non-payment of maintenance. However, an informal survey of six magistrates' courts conducted by the Home Office in 1974, showed that in 1973, in nearly 90 per cent. of the cases where a court issued a committal warrant but suspended it on conditions, the defaulter was not received into prison.

Information on receptions into prison in 1977 is not yet available. In 1976 a total of 3,233 persons were received into prison for non-payment of maintenance or affiliation arrears. The only readily available information on the last part of the Question is for 1975; this shows that 19 per cent. of those received into prison served less than half the term for which they were committed.