§ Ms DrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the local authority schemes that are being permitted to meet the funding costs of speed enforcement cameras from the money raised from fines and penalties; [80139]
(2) what criteria must be met for a local authority to be permitted to meet the funding costs of speed enforcement cameras from the money raised from fines and penalties. [80140]
§ Mr. MilburnAt present no local authorities, or other organisations, are permitted to retain the receipts from fines relating to speed enforcement camera convictions.
In December 1998 the Treasury issued a press notice setting out criteria against which requests to offset receipts from fines/penalties against Departmental Expenditure Limits can be assessed. The criteria aim to increase the effectiveness of enforcement while ensuring that such fines continue to be set on justice and deterrence principles and are not used as a means of raising revenue.
The costs associated with speed enforcement cameras are borne by a range of different organisations, including the police, courts and local authorities. DETR, Home Office and Lord Chancellor's Department are currently considering whether receipts from speed enforcement camera related fines would meet the criteria. We would need to be clear that the receipts could be properly apportioned between the authorities involved.
The criteria relate specifically to netting off receipts from expenditure in Departmental Expenditure Limits. They do not directly apply to any local authority self financed expenditure, which is not part of DEL. However, before allowing local authorities to retain a proportion of the receipts from speed camera related fines we would need to be satisfied that they would generally meet the same conditions.