§ Mr. Greg KnightTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the level of arrears of payments of fines imposed by magistrates courts in England and Wales. [28966]
§ Mr. WillsMagistrates Courts Committees have responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed through the courts, including not only fines but also fees, compensation, confiscation orders, legal aid contributions and some maintenance orders. It is not possible to separate out just the fines from the total.
Arrears is described as the total of missed lump sums or missed instalments on impositions where deferred payment was allowed. The total amount of money owed to the courts at the end of September 2001 which was in arrears was £224,694,570.