§ Lord Monsonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the average: (a) fine, (b) period of imprisonment, (c) period of disqualification imposed upon conviction for the offence of causing death by reckless driving for each of the last five years for which statistics are available.
The Minister of State, Home Office (The Earl of Caithness)The readily available information relates to offences of causing death or bodily harm. Detailed information on sentencing for this type of offence is published annually inOffences relating to Motor Vehicles, England and Wales—Supplementary Tables (Tables 5 to 14 of the issue for 1984: the 1985 issue will be published shortly). More detailed information than is published could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Some summary figures, derived from the published tables, are given in the table below:
SENTENCES AT ALL COURTS FOR OFFENCES OF CAUSING DEATH OR BODILY HARM(1)
England and Wales Number and percentages 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Average fine (Pounds) 247 224 302 298 535 Sentences of unsuspended imprisonment or youth custody—percentage for over 1 year(2) 16 21 13 23 32 Disqualifications—percentage for 4 years or more 37 44 36 29 40 (1) Manslaughter, causing death by reckless driving or causing bodily harm.
(2) Youth custody was introduced in May 1983. Excluding partly suspended sentences introduced in 1982.