§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the offenders who defaulted on paying their fixed penalty notices for disorder offences during the recent pilot scheme have since made the payment in full. [103950]
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§ Mr. Bob AinsworthRecipients of penalty notices for disorder offences have 21 days in which to pay the penalty or request a court hearing. If neither action has been taken the penalty will be recorded as not paid and registered as a fine of one and a half times the amount of the penalty. Responsibility for collection of the fine and any enforcement action will fall to the magistrates courts as for any other fine. The evaluation of the pilots will include an assessment of the payment rate of fines registered as a result of non-payment of penalties.
§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of fixed penalty notices for disorder offences were paid 21 days after their issue during the recent pilot scheme. [103951]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthFor penalty notices which had been issued up to 5 January 2003, a total of 53 per cent. were paid within the 21 day period allowed for payment.
§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many fixed penalty notices for disorder offences in the pilot scheme were withdrawn; and for what reasons; [103952]
(2) under what circumstances, when payment is not forthcoming after 21 days, a fixed penalty notice for disorder offences may be withdrawn. [103949]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthAs at 5 January 2003, 18 penalty notices for disorder had been withdrawn from a total of 1,835 issued. Penalty notices are withdrawn usually at the request of the issuing officer as a result of an error arising from their issue. It is also possible, under the legislation contained in the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, for the police to withdraw the penalty notice and seek a prosecution if the recipient fails, within the 21 day suspended enforcement period, to pay the penalty or request a court hearing.