§ Mrs. WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those committed to prison for television licence fine default in the first seven months of 1996 were women; and how many of these were mothers of children under 16 years of age. [7776]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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 from Richard Tilt to Ms Audrey Wise, dated 13 December 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many of those committed to prison for television licence fine default in the first seven months of 1996 were women; and how many of these were mothers of children under 16 years of age.Provisional information shows that for the period January to July 1996, 65 women were received into prison for defaulting on a fine after conviction for using a television without a licence. No information is available centrally on the number who were mothers of children aged under 16 years.
§ Mrs. WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were committed to prison for television licence fine default during 1995; what was the average time served in prison; and what was the cost to the Prison Service. [7780]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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 from Richard Tilt to Ms Audrey Wise, dated 13 December 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many people were committed to prison for television licence fine default during 1995; what was the average time served in prison; and what was the cost to the Prison Service.For 1995, 728 persons (493 males and 235 females) were received into prison for defaulting on a fine after conviction for using a television without a licence. The average time served by fine defaulters is one week. Information on the number of fine defaulters received into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, by offence group, is published in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (table 7.2 of the 1995 edition, Cm 3355), a copy of which is available in the Library.Information on the cost of prisoners according to their type of offence is not collected centrally. The average weekly net operating cost of a prison place in 1995–96 was £465.