To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been imprisoned for civil debt each year since 1979 in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Leeds metropolitan district.
The information for England and Wales is published annually in Prison Statistics England and Wales (table 6.3 of the latest volume, for 1990, Cm 1800), a copy of which is in the Library.The home address of inmates of prison service establishments is not recorded centrally. The table gives details of debtors known to have been committed by courts in the Leeds district.
| Prisoners1received into prison service establishments in England and Wales following committal for non-payment of civil debts2by courts in the Leeds metropolitan district 1979 to 1990 | |
| Debtors received | |
| 1979 | 58 |
| 1980 | 45 |
| 1981 | 18 |
| 1982 | 35 |
Debtors received
| |
| 1983 | 19 |
| 1984 | 6 |
| 1985 | 18 |
| 1986 | 8 |
| 1987 | 8 |
| 1988 | 9 |
| 1989 | 3 |
| 1990 | 3 |
1 The data may be under recorded to some extent, reflecting detailed court data. | |
2 Wife or child maintenance, arrears under an affiliation order, rates, community charge and other debts. | |