Written question asked by Dominic Grieve (Conservative) on Thursday, 21 January 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 January 2010. It was answered by Jack Straw (Labour) on Friday, 29 January 2010 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Fines: Surcharges

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much he expects to be raised from the victims surcharge in each of the next five years.

Answer: The victims surcharge is a £15 charge imposed on fines given in the magistrates and Crown courts in England and Wales on all offences committed on or after 1 April 2007.As receipts are dependent on the number of fines imposed and the enforcement rates achieved it is difficult to forecast future revenue from the surcharge with exactness. It is estimated that, as currently implemented, around £8 million will be raised from the surcharge, on fines, in 2009-10 and each year thereafter.

Secondary information