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<p>This Government takes recovery and enforcement of financial impositions very seriously
and remains committed to finding new ways to ensure impositions are paid and to trace
those who do not pay. This is why there has been a year on year increase in the total
amount of financial penalties collected over the last four years. The amount of money
collected has risen from £290m at the end of 2013/14 to a record of £310 million at
the end of 2014/15. This is an increase of £20m (7%) in cash collection of financial
impositions (excluding confiscation) compared to that collected in 2013/14.</p><p>
</p><p>The table below shows the percentage of the value of fines that had been collected,
cancelled or remained outstanding at the end of each of the last four financial years.
This data is not available before April 2011.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Collected
Against Impositions in Period</strong></p><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Cancelled Impositions
in Period</strong></p><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>38%</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>39%</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>37%</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>37%</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>This includes accounts that were not due to be paid by the end of the period
specified (either because they were imposed close to the end of the year or because
they had payment timescales set by the courts for beyond the end of the financial
year) and those that were being paid by instalments on agreed payment plans. Many
of these impositions will have been paid since the end of the financial years stated.</p><p>
</p><p>The ‘accounts cancelled’ percentage includes both administrative and legal
cancellations. It is not possible to split the figures between the two types of cancellation.</p><p>
</p><p>Administrative cancellations only take place in certain circumstances and after
all attempts to collect the amount outstanding have been made. These circumstances
include where the offender has died, where they have emigrated with no prospect of
return, where the offender has been sent to a mental institution for 12 months or
more or where the offender cannot be traced and there has been at least 12 months
from the point of imposition. It should be noted that administrative cancellations
can be re-instated if the prospects of recovery improve (where, for example, a new
address is found).</p><p> </p><p>Legal cancellations occur after the case has been
reconsidered by a judge or magistrate and further evidence has been presented. Legal
cancellations can be as a result of a successful appeal, a change in financial circumstances
of the offender or a committal to prison for non payment.</p><p> </p><p>We do not
record ‘collection rate’ figures for Confiscation orders and fixed penalties.</p>
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