Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2014, Official Report, column 844W, on courts: fines, what offences were committed by those who were fined the maximum in magistrates' courts in the last five years.

We are toughening up sentencing across the board. The number of offences for which the maximum available fine was imposed in the magistrates' courts has increased steadily since 2010. Financial penalties set at the right level can be an effective way of punishing criminals and deterring them from further offending.

The offences for which the maximum available fine was imposed in the magistrates’ courts from 2009 to 2013 are listed in the table below.