§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of the prison population have been imprisoned for crimes of fine default; what is the average time spent in prison for people convicted of defaulting on fines of(a)£1–£49, (b) £50–99, (c) £100—£199, (d) £200–£299 and (e) £300–£400; what is the average cost of imprisoning (i) male and (ii) female prisoners for a week; and if he will make a statement. [29393]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 16 May 1996]: Responsibility 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 17 May 1996:
589WThe Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking how many and what percentage of the prison population have been imprisoned for crimes of fine defaulters; what is the average time spent in prison for people convicted of defaulting on fines of (a) £1–£49, (b) £50–£99, (c) £100–£199, (d) £200–£299 and (e) £300– £400; and what is the average cost of imprisoning (i) male and (ii) female prisoners for one week.Figures for the population of fine defaulters are available for the last day of each month. For January to March, the average population was 266 in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. This is 0.5 per cent of the total prison population. The average time served by all fine defaulters is about one week. Information is not available centrally on the amount of unpaid fines. The net operating cost per prisoner per week was £512 for female prisoners and £421 for all other prisons in 1994–95.