§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people(a) were imprisoned and (b) received a non-custodial sentence for fine default in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; how many fine defaults followed non-payment of a television licence fee; what was the average length of prison sentence in each year for fine default; and if he will make a statement. [5114]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyPrison receptions data from the Prison statistics database do not include non-custodial sentences for defendants who have defaulted on payment of fines. Details of prison receptions for fine default and average days served are shown in Table A for males and females. Prison receptions for fine default following non-payment of a television licence fee are shown in Table B.
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Table A: Receptions of fine defaulters by year, and average time served by days and sex for prisons in England and Wales Average time served/days1 Year Number of receptions Males Females 1991 18,973 8.1 6.8 1992 19,826 7.0 6.8 1993 22,403 7.5 6.0 1994 22,469 7.3 5.0 1995 20,157 7.0 5.0 1996 8,555 7.0 5.0 1997 6,336 7.0 5.0 1998 5,374 7.0 5.0 1999 3,727 7.0 5.0 20002 2,476 7.0 5.0 1 Excluding those remaining in custody for fine default on completion of a custodial sentence 2 Provisional data
Table B: Fine Defaulters that have used a TV without a licence in prisons in England and Wales, by year Year Number of fine defaulters received1 1991 394 1992 568 1993 825 1994 730 1995 728 1996 327 1997 232 1998 145 1999 80 20002 33 1 Includes those aged 17 up to 1992 2 Provisional data A Home Office Occasional Paper, "New Measures for Fine Defaulters, Persistent Petty Offenders and Others: The Report of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 Pilots", by Robin Elliott and Jennifer Airs was published in 2000. The report looks in detail at fine default in Norwich and Manchester, including imprisonment, non-custodial sentences and type of offence.
A copy is in the Library or can be accessed on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/occ-fine.pdf.