§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many compensation orders were awarded at(a) magistrates' courts and (b) Crown courts in each year since 2000; what the rate of default was in (i) each year and (ii) each court; and if he will make a statement. [138451]
§ Mr. LeslieInformation on compensation orders in Magistrates' Courts has not been historically collected by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. However, the Home Office Criminal Statistics Publication (Table SI, 6(A)) shows that in 2000, 97,073 offenders were ordered to pay compensation (excluding summary motoring offences) and in 2001, 97,134 offenders were ordered to pay compensation (excluding summary468W motoring offences). Information on the rate of default is not currently collected as compensation orders are measured with confiscation orders and other fines and not isolated. Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs) have a responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed by both the magistrates' courts and the Crown Court. Debt collected includes compensation but also fees, fines, confiscation orders, legal aid contributions and some maintenance orders. It is not yet possible to separate out only compensation orders from the total. There are plans, however, to isolate compensation orders in debt analysis under the Libra Project from around Autumn 2004 onwards. This will involve the use of the Libra Application which is the new IT system being developed for the Magistrates' Courts.
Figures concerning the number of compensation orders made in the Crown Court for the years 2000–02 are as follows. This information relates to defendants, not cases:
2000—6,892 2001—6,732 2002—7,100 Unfortunately, I am unable to provide information on the rate of default as the monies are paid into Magistrates Courts and the figures aggregated in the way explained above.