§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of people imprisoned for fine defaults in the years(a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992 and (d) 1993; and what percentage they represent of all receptions of sentenced prisoners.
§ Mr. Peter LloydResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
RECEPTIONS OF FINE DEFAULTERS
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for information on the number of receptions of fine defaulters in the years (a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992 and (d) 1993 and what percentage they represent of all receptions of sentenced prisoners.Information for 1990 and 1991 was published in the 1991 edition of "Prison statistics England and Wales" (Cm 2157) and I attach a copy of table 7.1 for ease of reference. Information for 389W 1992 is only readily available for fine defaulters from 1 March 1992 to 31 August 1992. During this six month period 9,329 fine defaulters (8,815 males and 514 females) were received into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. I am sorry
Extract from Prison Statistics—England and Wales—1991 Table 7.1 Population, receptions and estimated average time spent in Prison Service establishments: by sex, 1981 to 1991 England and Wales Fine defaulters 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 Population at 30 June All fine defaulters 918 909 900 792 563 511 626 576 484 466 409 Males 879 871 854 752 540 491 598 549 460 441 397 Females 39 38 46 40 23 20 28 27 24 25 12 Total sentenced population 36,669 36,000 35,438 35,496 37,344 36,450 39,303 38,548 38,013 35,220 35,114 Fine defaulters as a percentage of total sentenced population 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.2 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2 Population serving sentences of imprisonment of 6 months or less1 5,442 5,588 6,006 6,205 6,285 4,787 4,856 3,563 3,744 3,238 3,650 Fine defaulters as a percentage of population serving sentences of imprisonment of 6 months or less 16.9 16.3 15.0 12.8 9.0 10.7 12.9 16.2 12.9 14.4 11.2 Receptions All fine defaulters 21,153 24,492 23,241 21,761 20,493 19,159 18,723 16,817 16,985 16,659 18,973 Males 20,046 23,168 21,920 20,275 19,108 18,084 17,804 15,881 16,117 15,814 17,997 Females 1,107 1,324 1,321 1,486 1,385 1,075 919 936 868 845 976 All receptions under sentence 88,110 94,377 93,414 92,810 96,189 86,153 86,358 81,376 76,430 67,510 72,313 Fine defaulters as a percentage of all receptions under sentence 24.0 26.0 24.9 23.4 21.3 22.2 21.7 20.5 22.2 24.7 26.2 All receptions under sentence of imprisonment of 6 months or less1 45,219 52,195 51,415 50,242 49,287 43,109 41,446 39,391 42,209 36,813 41,245 Fine defaulters as a percentage of all receptions under sentence of imprisonment of 6 months or less 46.8 46.9 45.2 43.3 41.6 44.4 45.2 42.7 40.2 45.3 46.0 Average time served (days)2 Males 14.5 14.1 14.1 12.9 11.3 10.9 10.9 9.9 8.1 7.0 7.5 Females 10.5 11.0 10.1 8.7 8.1 7.9 8.4 7.1 6.0 6.0 6.8 1 Excludes detention trainees: includes youth custody trainees and persons sentenced to detention in a young offender institution. 2 Excluding those remaining in custody as fine defaulters on completion of a custodial sentence for criminal offence.