§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much more it would cost the taxpayer to hire enough police to enforce the payment of fines than to pay private firms to do it. [HL 2245]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)It would not be possible to make a meaningful estimate of such costs. A review of police tasks in 1995 recommended that responsibility for the execution of warrants, such as those for non-payment of fines, should be transferred from the police to the Magistrates' Courts as this was not core policing work. Legislative changes are necessary to ensure that the courts have the necessary powers to execute such warrants. Such changes are under consideration by my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor.