§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, in each of the last five years, was the average level of fine issued in respect of each category of crime for which fines are used; and if he will make a statement. [60343]
§ Mr. BoatengThe information is given in the table.
The fine remains the most commonly used disposal of the courts and, as the figures in the table show, there has been an 11 per cent. increase in the level of fines over the five year period between 1993 and 1997.
608W
Average fine at all courts by offence group 1993–971 England and Wales £ Average fine Offence group 1993 1994 1995 1996 21997 Indictable offences Violence against the person1 183 170 174 169 171 Sexual offences 221 205 210 308 220 Burglary 110 145 140 138 143 Robbery 93 108 63 105 79 Theft and handling stolen goods 86 114 112 107 106 Fraud and forgery 148 192 174 227 176 Criminal damage 90 102 103 109 110 Drug offences 89 101 101 103 101 Indictable motoring 150 165 176 174 175 Other non-motoring offences 244 228 263 372 413 Summary non-motoring offences 102 98 103 103 104 Summary motoring offences 149 160 166 161 163 All offences 131 137 145 141 146 1 Excluding the offence of murder which carries a mandatory "life" sentence. 2 Provisional