§ John McDonnellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he900W has to employ additional trained staff to assist defendants with con completing means inquiry forms. [173121]
§ Mr. LeslieOne of the key measures in the Courts Act 2003 is the introduction of Fines Officers who will lead on collecting and enforcing financial penalties. Among other things they and their teams will help defendants complete means enquiry forms. The Fines Officer role is currently being piloted at six Magistrates' Courts Committees, namely Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire and South Yorkshire.
§ John McDonnellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs in what circumstances a fine imposed by a magistrates' court in England and Wales is written off. [173122]
§ Mr. LeslieFines will no longer be written off. They will be pursued until they are paid. The new policy to deliver this was introduced on 5 January 2004. There are very limited circumstances for the administrative cancellation of a fine for example, if the defendant has died or has been sent to a mental health institution for more than 12 months.
§ John McDonnellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs at what percentage of courts in England and Wales it is possible to make regular cash payments to court staff following the imposition of a fine. [173123]
§ Mr. LeslieData on the percentage of courts in England and Wales where it is possible to make regular cash payments is not held centrally. Magistrates' Courts Committees provide a range of convenient payment methods to offenders including cheque, credit card, debit card, postal order, cash deposit boxes, 'Paypoint' and 'Girobank' but not all have cash offices in every court. Maintenance of cash desks can be expensive and a balance needs to be struck between the need to secure prompt payment and the cost effectiveness of the method chosen.
§ John McDonnellTo ask Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average annual salary of a Magistrates' Court Enforcement Officer is in(a) Greater London and (b) the rest of England and Wales. [173124]
§ Mr. LeslieInformation obtained from Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority indicates that the current average salary for Civilian Enforcement Officers is around £19,000 and a sample survey of 29 Magistrates' Courts Committees (excluding Greater London) indicates that the current salary for Civilian Enforcement Officers is around £15,000.