§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each year since 1990 the total number of(a) distress warrants, (b) attachment of earnings orders and (c) direct deductions from income support issued by the Sunderland magistrates court for unpaid court fines of £150 or less. [35701]
§ Mr. Streeter(a) The information requested in respect of distress warrants for unpaid fines under £150 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the total number of distress warrants issued by the court each year for the years 1990 to 1995 is:
- 1990: none
- 1991: 462
- 1992: 808
- 1993: 882
- 1994: 956
- 1995: 1,663
For the period 1 January 1996 to 31 May 1996 the number is 595. It is estimated that 98 per cent. of warrants issued between 1991 and May 1996 were for amounts under £150.
(b) No attachment of earnings orders for fines under £150 have been made in any of the years 1990 to 1996.
(c) No direct deductions from income support have been made for fines under £150 in any of the years 1990 to 1995. For the period 1 January 1996 to 31 May 1996, the number is 16.