GOVERNMENT MUST CRACK DOWN ON UNPAID FINES

Local Labour politicians have said that the SNP Scottish Government must “redouble its efforts” to crack down on offenders who are refusing to pay fixed penalty fines.

New statistics from the Scottish Court Service show that the value of unpaid fines imposed by Dumfries, Kirkcudbright and Stranraer Sheriff Courts has increased since last year to 23%, 28% and 23%, respectively, of the total value of fines imposed by the courts. In Kirkcudbright and Stranraer the percentage of fines where no payment at all has been received has increased to 33% and 31% respectively, while in Dumfries is approximately the same as last year at 28%.

Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown said:

“Fines have an important role to play in minor crimes and it is important that payment is collected. It is disappointing that in Dumfries and Galloway’s courts the total percentage of unpaid fines is increasing and a greater proportion of fines have received no payment towards them at all. While the number of fines imposed in our region is much smaller than larger Sheriff Courts, it is a basic principal that when a fine is imposed it should be paid.”

Dumfriesshire MSP Elaine Murray said:

“There are thousands of pounds worth of fines going uncollected. The SNP Government must redouble its efforts to crack down on offenders who refuse to pay their fines.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

See attached spreadsheet with extracted data from Scottish Courts Service for full details.