§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons over the past two years who were held in police custody had warrants separately issued for their arrest in respect of non-payment at the time they were discharged from custody; and if he will make a statement. [26028]
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 6 June 1995]: The information requested is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the names of those persons for whom there is a warrant for non-payment of fines are not included on the police national computer; and if he will make a statement. [26029]
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 6 June 1995]: Most warrants for non-payment of fines are executed locally, and the police often take the view that no useful purpose would be served by recording them on the police national computer. I understand that police forces enter the names of such persons on the police national computer where they consider that making the information available to other forces would be worth while, bearing in mind that the defaulter could not be arrested by any officer not in possession of the warrant itself.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what means custody officers in police stations have to establish whether persons whom they detain or release have warrants against them for non-payment of fines; and if he will make a statement. [26030]
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 6 June 1995]: All warrants issued by the courts and forwarded to the police are recorded on the force warrants register. In the case of warrants on which initial inquiries have been made without success, entries are made on the police national computer. For all persons coming into police custody, both sources of information are checked.