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43143

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was levied in fines by each magistrates court in Greater Manchester in each of the last five years; what proportion of such fines were written off by each court; and what proportion of such fines were collected.
	tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
	tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
	uin	192142
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to identify the amounts imposed, written off and collected for individual magistrates courts as data on fines imposed is recorded by local accounting divisions. The only way data for individual courts could be obtained is to carry out a manual search of all fine accounts.</p><p> </p><p>The total amounts imposed, written off and collected in the Greater Manchester accounting division are set out below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total imposed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total administratively cancelled</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total legally cancelled</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total collected</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/09</p></td><td><p>£19,635,012</p></td><td><p>£1,902,853</p></td><td><p>£2,805,105</p></td><td><p>£11,673,192</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>£19,267,431</p></td><td><p>£1,973,017</p></td><td><p>£3,019,911</p></td><td><p>£11,802,052</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>£22,558,446</p></td><td><p>£1,229,895</p></td><td><p>£2,847,562</p></td><td><p>£12,063,589</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>£19,125,753</p></td><td><p>£2,216,073</p></td><td><p>£3,933,432</p></td><td><p>£12,265,100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>£21,654,640</p></td><td><p>£2,204,046</p></td><td><p>£4,586,675</p></td><td><p>£12,952,842</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The amounts above include all elements of financial impositions (excluding confiscation orders): fines, costs, compensation and victim surcharge. The amounts cancelled or collected in a particular year can relate to impositions from that year or any previous year.</p><p> </p><p>Financial penalties are only administratively cancelled after all attempts to collect the amount outstanding have been made, and in accordance with strict cancellation criteria. These penalties can be written back on to the system if more information is found – for instance, a new address for the offender.</p><p> </p><p>Legal cancellations can be applied after the case has been reconsidered by a Judge or Magistrate. Typically, legal cancellations are used where a case has been re-opened and the defendant has been found not guilty, following the presentation of additional information. Legal cancellations can be full or partial remittances of financial penalties.</p><p> </p><p>The table below sets out how much of the value imposed in Greater Manchester in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 financial years was collected or cancelled by the end of the same financial year which it was imposed. This data is only available from April 2011 onwards.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Imposed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Collected</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Cancelled (administrative and legal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>£19,125,753</p></td><td><p>£6,036,385</p></td><td><p>£1,832,554</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>£21,654,640</p></td><td><p>£6,537,941</p></td><td><p>£3,111,387</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The amounts above again include all elements of financial impositions. The balance amount imposed that is remaining at the end of the financial year will include amounts that were being paid by instalments or were not due for payment by that time.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) takes the issue of financial penalty enforcement very seriously and is working to ensure that clamping down on defaulters is a continued priority nationwide. HMCTS actively pursues all outstanding impositions until certain they cannot be collected. Total collection reached an all time high at the end of 2012/13 and collection has continued to rise in this financial year. At the end of September 2013 total collection (all imposition types excluding confiscation orders) across HMCTS was higher than the same point in the previous year and the outstanding balance had reduced since the start of the financial year. On average over the last 12 month 69% of accounts have been either closed or are compliant with payment terms by 12 months after imposition.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS are actively seeking an external provider for the future delivery of compliance and enforcement services. This will bring the necessary investment and innovation to significantly improve the collection of criminal financial penalties and reduce the cost of the service to the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

43149

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much in victim surcharge has been imposed by adult courts since October 2012; and how much of that figure has been collected to date.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	191969
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The amount of victim surcharge imposed and collected from October 2012 to September 2013 (latest published period) is set out below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Imposition month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount imposed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount collected by end of September 2013</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2012</p></td><td><p>£1,253,491</p></td><td><p>£826,583</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2012</p></td><td><p>£1,460,874</p></td><td><p>£941,311</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2012</p></td><td><p>£1,263,756</p></td><td><p>£788,671</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2013</p></td><td><p>£1,900,543</p></td><td><p>£1,158,226</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2013</p></td><td><p>£1,869,900</p></td><td><p>£1,068,110</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2013</p></td><td><p>£2,086,393</p></td><td><p>£1,139,143</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2013</p></td><td><p>£2,424,548</p></td><td><p>£1,240,960</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2013</p></td><td><p>£2,543,344</p></td><td><p>£1,201,270</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2013</p></td><td><p>£2,556,998</p></td><td><p>£1,096,358</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2013</p></td><td><p>£2,982,204</p></td><td><p>£1,096,130</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2013</p></td><td><p>£2,707,508</p></td><td><p>£776,618</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2013</p></td><td><p>£2,626,937</p></td><td><p>£357,217</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£25,676,496</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£11,690,597</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The balance of the amount imposed that is remaining at the end of the period will include amounts that are being paid by instalments or were not due for payment by that time. The closer to the point of imposition the greater the proportion will be that remains outstanding as many offenders will be paying by instalments.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) takes the issue of financial penalty enforcement very seriously and is working to ensure that clamping down on defaulters is a continued priority nationwide. HMCTS actively pursues all outstanding impositions until certain they cannot be collected. Total collection reached an all time high at the end of 2012/13 and collection has continued to rise in this financial year.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS are actively seeking an external provider for the future delivery of compliance and enforcement services. This will bring the necessary investment and innovation to significantly improve the collection of criminal financial penalties and reduce the cost of the service to the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

42822

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) magistrates' courts, (b) County courts and (c) County Court money claims centres use higher-rate telephone numbers.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	191689
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The information held centrally on how many and what proportion of (a) magistrates' courts, (b) County courts and (c) County Court money claims centres use higher-rate telephone numbers is as follows:</p><p>(a) Magistrates' courts: 33 out of 330 courts</p><p>(b) County Courts: 17 out of 216 courts</p><p>(c) The County Court Bulk Centre in Northampton which centrally</p><p>manages money claims, also uses higher rate telephone numbers.</p><p>Some of the individual numbers are used for more than one court.</p><p>As stated in previous answers to parliamentary questions, the Department's approach is not to use 084 or 087 for non-geographic numbers and instead, wherever possible, to assign 0300 numbers, for which the tariff is similar to calling an 01 or 02 (geographic) number, whether the caller is using a fixed line or a mobile phone —see: <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130423/text/130423w0004.htm#130423w0004. htm_wqn27" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130423/text/130423w0004.htm#130423w0004. htm_wqn27</a></p><p>and</p><p><a href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?ids2013-11-20a.175002.h&amp;s=Vaz+0845#g175002.q0" target="_blank">http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?ids2013-11-20a.175002.h&amp;s=Vaz+0845#g175002.q0</a></p><p>The number of 08 numbers used by the department has fallen by 55% since December 2009.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

42556

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the action by barristers on (a) 6 January 2014 and (b) 7 March 2014; and what his policy is on imposing a costs sanction on the barristers involved.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	191468
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2014 answer text <p>We have not yet made an estimate of the cost to the taxpayer of the action by barristers on 6 January and 7 March 2014. The question of costs is a matter for judges to consider in individual cases under the provisions set out in the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (as amended).</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 01/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

42285

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost was of a (a) jury trial at the Crown Court for (i) either way offences sent by magistrates where their sentencing powers were not deemed sufficient, (ii) either way offences where the defendant has chosen to elect jury trial and (iii) indictable only offences and (b) trial in a magistrates' court for (i) summary only offences and (ii) either way offences in the latest period for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	191282
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p>The information requested is not currently available in full. An analysis of criminal court costs is based on average timings from Activity Based Costing allocations models. Some of the timings in the models are based on a timing survey, conducted in a representative sample of courts. Undertaking a new survey to support an analysis of costs in a different way to that currently available could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.</p><p>Some of the information is available. There are a number of different ways costs of cases can be estimated, depending on how indirect costs are apportioned. Estimates below are based on 2012/13 costs (up-rated to 2013/14 prices).</p><p> </p><p>Costs at the Crown Court are analysed by offence type (criminal damage, burglary, drug offences etc) rather than by how the offence has come to be heard in the Crown Court. Estimates are based on average trial lengths – individual trials for any given case may be longer or shorter. The lower and upper trial cost estimates shown below are the weighted average of upper and lower estimates for all either way or indictable offence types.</p><p>Summary offences in the magistrates' court have been split into motoring and non-motoring offence types.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Estimated Average Costs </strong></p></td><td><p>Lower</p></td><td><p>Higher</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>In the Crown Court (Either way or indictable trial in the Crown Court)</p></td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Committed for trial</p></td><td><p><strong>£5,500</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£6,400</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sent for trail</p></td><td><p><strong>£9,500</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£10,500</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>In the Magistrates Court</p></td><td><p>Lower</p></td><td><p>Higher</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Summary motoring trial</p></td><td><p><strong>£500</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£600</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Summary non-motoring trial</p></td><td><p><strong>£1,000</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£1,300</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Either way trial in the magistrates' court</p></td><td><p><strong>£1,300</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£1,700</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures do not include legal aid costs.</p><p> </p><p>Costs shown to the nearest £100<ins>.</ins></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

42289

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many defendants charged with each offence type were sent to the Crown Court for sentence by magistrates in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	191271
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p>The answers to both questions are contained in the following tables:</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 191270 question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara attachment 1 file name 191270, 191271.doc title Table 1&2
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

42291

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost was of an either way office case dealt with at the Crown Court where (a) a guilty plea was entered at the magistrates' court and (b) a guilty plea was entered on the day of trial at the Crown Court in the latest period for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	191272
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p>There are a number of different ways costs of cases can be estimated, depending on how indirect costs are apportioned, resulting in a range of cost estimates for these cases. The latest period for which data is available is 2012/13 (up-rated to 2013/14 prices).</p><p>a) The cost of an either way guilty plea entered at the Magistrates Court is estimated to be between £210 and £270 (to the nearest £10).</p><p>b) A guilty plea entered on the day of a trial at the Crown court would result in a cracked trial. The cost of a cracked trial in the Crown court is estimated to be between £1,200 and £2,000 (to the nearest £100).</p><p>These figures do not include legal aid costs.</p><p>Sentencing Council Guidelines to the judiciary encourage early guilty pleas by setting out a scale of ‘credit' for a guilty plea to be applied that varies from a reduction of one third in any sentence for an early plea, to 10% for a guilty plea entered at the point of trial.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

42292

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many defendants (a) elected jury trial at the Crown Court for either way offences where magistrates had accepted jurisdiction and deemed the case to be suitable for summary trial and (b) were sent to the Crown Court for trial by magistrates declining jurisdiction over the case in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	191270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p>The answers to both questions are contained in the following tables:</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 191271 question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara attachment 1 file name 191270, 191271.doc title Table 1&2
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

36327

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value was of fines that were (a) issued and (b) uncollected in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Tooting
	tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
	uin	186157
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The value of fines imposed, collected, cancelled and outstanding for the periods from April 2011 onwards are set out below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Value of fines imposed</p></td><td><p>Value of fine collected in the same period they were imposed</p></td><td><p>Value of fines cancelled in the same period they were imposed</p></td><td><p>Value of fines imposed outstanding at the end of the period</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2011 to December 2011</p></td><td><p>£170,962,169</p></td><td><p>£54,843,753</p></td><td><p>£12,470,347</p></td><td><p>£103,648,069</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2012 to December 2012</p></td><td><p>£273,944,704</p></td><td><p>£70,032,092</p></td><td><p>£17,470,412</p></td><td><p>£186,442,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2013 to September 2013 (latest published period)</p></td><td><p>£210,561,372</p></td><td><p>£44,541,677</p></td><td><p>£11,548,807</p></td><td><p>£154,470,888</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The values above only refer to fines and not any other elements of financial impositions such as prosecutor costs, compensation and victim surcharge. Where financial impositions are paid by instalments the fine element is the last part to be paid off after compensation, victim surcharge and prosecutor costs. The values cancelled can relate to legal or administrative cancellations. The value outstanding will include amounts remaining on accounts that are being paid by instalments or were not due for payment by the end of the period specified.</p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to provide data in this format for any period prior to April 2011 as new performance management information was introduced at that time. It is not possible to identify how much of the amounts imposed in 2011 or 2012 remained outstanding by the end of September 2013 (latest published data period) as data is only available for 18 months after the date imposed – after that it is not possible to extract the amount outstanding for a specific period from the total balance outstanding.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) takes the issue of financial penalty enforcement very seriously and is working to ensure that clamping down on defaulters is a continued priority nationwide. HMCTS actively pursues all outstanding impositions until certain they cannot be collected. Collection reached an all time high at the end of 2012/13 and collection has continued to rise in this financial year. At the end of September 2013 total collection (all imposition types excluding confiscation orders) was higher than the same point in the previous year and the outstanding balance had reduced since the start of the financial year. On average over the last 12 month 69% of accounts have been either closed or are compliant with payment terms by 12 months after imposition.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS are actively seeking an external provider for the future delivery of compliance and enforcement services. This will bring the necessary investment and innovation to significantly improve the collection of criminal financial penalties and reduce the cost of the service to the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

36328

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value is of outstanding fines that were written off in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Tooting
	tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
	uin	186159
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The amounts of financial impositions administratively cancelled and legally cancelled in each year since 2009-10 are set out in the table below</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Legally Cancelled</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Administratively Cancelled</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>£58,277,772</p></td><td><p>£47,398,379</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>£62,263,874</p></td><td><p>£50,712,367</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>£63,957,203</p></td><td><p>£63,135,442</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>£62,594,601</p></td><td><p>£75,868,426</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The number of financial impositions administratively cancelled and legally cancelled in each year since 2011/12 are set out in the table below. Data on the number of financial impositions cancelled is not available prior to 2011/12.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Legally Cancelled</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Administratively Cancelled</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>161,455</p></td><td><p>226,955</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>165,195</p></td><td><p>269,486</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It is not possible to identify the amounts or numbers written off for just the fine element. The amounts above therefore include all elements of financial penalties (excluding confiscation orders): fines, costs, compensation and victim surcharge. The amounts cancelled in a particular year can relate to impositions from that year or any previous year.</p><p> </p><p>Financial penalties are only administratively cancelled after all attempts to collect the amount outstanding have been made, and in accordance with strict cancellation criteria. These penalties can be written back on to the system if more information is found – for instance, a new address for the offender.</p><p> </p><p>Legal cancellations can be applied after the case has been reconsidered by a Judge or Magistrate. Typically, legal cancellations are used where a case has been re-opened and the defendant has been found not guilty, following the presentation of additional information. Legal cancellations can be full or partial remittances of financial penalties.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has carried out a fundamental review of financial penalty accounts, actively targeting accounts to achieve compliance at the earliest point, as well as tackling old accounts, and administratively cancelling them where there is no realistic chance of collection because they do not have enough information to trace the debtors. This explains the increase in the value of administrative cancellations seen in the figures.</p><p> </p><p>This enabled HMCTS to focus resources on increasing collections on accounts which can be enforced, resulting in the record high level of collection in 2012/13.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) takes the issue of financial penalty enforcement very seriously and is working to ensure that clamping down on defaulters is a continued priority nationwide. HMCTS actively pursues all outstanding impositions until certain they cannot be collected. Collection reached an all time high at the end of 2012/13 and collection has continued to rise in this financial year. At the end of September 2013 total collection (all imposition types excluding confiscation orders) was higher than the same point in the previous year and the outstanding balance had reduced since the start of the financial year. On average over the last 12 month 69% of accounts have been either closed or are compliant with payment terms by 12 months after imposition.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS are actively seeking an external provider for the future delivery of compliance and enforcement services. This will bring the necessary investment and innovation to significantly improve the collection of criminal financial penalties and reduce the cost of the service to the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 186160 question first answered 02/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan