HC Deb 12 July 2002 vol 388 cc1227-9W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fine-defaulters were in receipt of income support and income-related jobseekers allowance in each year since 1990. [65119]

Yvette Cooper

It is not possible to provide proportions of fine defaulters who were in receipt of Income Support (IS) or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA IB). The table below shows numbers of IS/JSA (IB) claimants at a point in time each year since 1994, with a deduction in force on their benefit for fines recovery. It is not possible to provide historical figures back to 1990 as fines recovery data was not collected.

Year IS Claiments(1000s) JSA (IB) Claiments (1000s)
May 1994 7 —
May 1995 9 —
May 1996 16 —
May 1997 14 8
May 1998 13 7
May 1999 13 6
May 2000 12 5
May 2001 13 4
Feb 2002 14 4

Notes:

1. Based on 5 per cent. sample, therefore subject to sampling variation.

2. IS figures from May 1994 to May 1997 include unemployed claimants claiming Income Support.

3. JSA (IB) replaced IS for the unemployed in October 1996.

4. Some Income-based JSA claimants may also have entitlement to benefit via the contributory route.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fines imposed by Sussex magistrates were(a) paid, (b) written off, (c) cancelled and (d) in arrears in each year since 1990. [65120]

Yvette Cooper

Magistrates' 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 fines from the total.

Sussex Magistrates' Courts Committee IT system includes cancellations in the write off figures. The figures available for Sussex Magistrates' Courts Committee are as follows:

  • 2001–02—Imposed:£7,990,163 (a) £4,106,942 (b) £2,462,123 (d)£3,441,695;
  • 2000–01—Imposed:£9,066,983 (a) £4,648,440 (b) £3,475,773 (d) £2,728,719;
  • 1999–2000—Imposed:£8,094,313 (a) £5,611,954 (b) £3,406,299 (d) £7,404,347.

Prior to 1999, the Magistrates' Courts Committees were not asked as part of their data collection to provide full-information on the amounts imposed, paid or cancelled. The national data for the period 1996–1998 for amounts "written off" were only collected for the last quarter of each calendar year; while the "amounts in arrears" show the position as at 31 December for each year.

  • 1998—(b)£572,651 (d)£4,544,567;
  • 1997—(b)£451,266 (d)£4,461,302;
  • 1996—(b)£712,100 (d)£4,807,596.

For the period 1993–1995 only figures for the total arrears at the year's end are available:

  • 1995—(d) £4,062,847;
  • 1994—(d) £4,859,747;

  • 1993—(d) £2,086,118. (Data only provided by East Sussex.)

Prior to 1993 data were not collected centrally.

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