I can advise the Deputy that the number of males committed to prison in the past 12 months for failure to pay a Court ordered fine was 6,197. The corresponding figure for females was 1,682.
However, I can advise the Deputy that the number of such persons held in custody at any one time is a minute fraction of the overall prisoner population. To illustrate this point 22 (0.5%) of the prison population of 4261 on 25 February 2013 fell into this category. I expect the number of committals for non-payment of fines to fall substantially once the Fines Bill 2009 has been enacted and brought into force.