§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Filkin)My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Statement.
Improving fine enforcement performance is an important part of maintaining public confidence in the criminal justice system. Justice must be done, and must be seen to be done.
To this end, we are launching a national initiative to target those who have defaulted on criminal penalties imposed by the courts. The initiative, called Operation Payback, will see magistrates' courts across England and Wales conducting blitzes against serious fines defaulters in their areas.
The operation means that money owed to the court, and therefore the taxpayer, and compensation owed to victims, is collected. The Government are sending a clear message to those who have been fined that payment is not optional and that penalties must be paid.
The national operation is being co-ordinated by the Department for Constitutional Affairs with support from the police and the Department for Work and Pensions.