HC Deb 10 July 1996 vol 281 cc175-6W
Mr. Chidgey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 17 April,Official Report, column 523, how many (a) arrests and (b) police cautions, there have been for driving without insurance in each of the last five years; how many (i) custodial sentences, (ii) fines and (iii) suspended sentences, have been handed down following prosecutions for driving without insurance in each of the last five years; what has been the reconviction rate for driving without insurance in each of the last five years; and what action he is taking to discourage drivers from driving without insurance. [36221]

Mr. Maclean

Information on the number of people arrested for specific offences is not available centrally.

The number of written warnings for the offence of driving without insurance cannot be distinguished from other insurance offences in the statistics available centrally. The following list gives the number of written warnings issued by the police in England and Wales for all vehicle insurance offences:

Written warnings given for vehicle insurance offences in England and Wales

  • 1990: 22,788
  • 1991: 21,198
  • 1992: 18,285
  • 1993: 16,701
  • 1994: 15,277

Figures for 1995 are not yet available.

The penalties available for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks do not include custodial and suspended sentences. The following list shows the number of fines imposed following conviction for this offence:

Fines imposed at all courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks in England and Wales

  • 1990: 161,281
  • 1991: 166,923
  • 1992: 182,019
  • 1993: 203,976
  • 1994: 199,884

Figures for 1995 are not yet available.

Statistics of reconviction rates for this offence are not available.

The enforcement of road traffic law, including the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks, is a matter for chief officers of police. As the hon. Member knows, there were 446,559 court proceedings for this offence in England and Wales during 1994.