§ 32. Mr. Thurnhamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fine defaulters were imprisoned in 1985; how this compares with previous years; and what measures he is taking to divert fine defaulters from custody.
§ Mr. MellorThe number of persons received into prisons in default of payment of fine is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales." Table 3 of the latest issue (Cmnd. 9903) for 1985, gives figures for the last 11 years. The number of receptions has been falling and was around 20,500 in 1985.
Courts have a statutory duty to take offenders' means into account when setting the level of a fine and have other powers to prevent default, including power to order payment by instalments, or to make attachment of earnings orders and money payment supervision orders. We are considering whether there are further ways of improving fine enforcement.