PentiP System

James Brokenshire
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the PentiP computer system is expected to be operational to process all fixed penalty notices and penalty notices for disorder;

(2) what the estimated cost is of establishing the PentiP computer system; and what the annual cost is expected to be of maintaining the system thereafter.

Mr. McNulty
The PentiP computer system will provide a single national data sharing system to process all fixed penalty notices and penalty notices for disorder. It is planned to be operational in 53 police forces (comprising 53 forces in England and Wales; eight forces in Scotland; the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and the British Transport Police) by September 2009. It is estimated that the system will cost, in total, £9.3 million over the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 to implement. Once implemented, the annual cost of maintaining the system, estimated to be approximately £140,000, will be funded by police forces and courts out of savings generated by replacing and rationalising existing penalty notice systems.