51395
2017-19
926
Unlawful Imprisonment For Not Paying Council Tax
Barry Sheerman
2018-02-08
That this House notes that between 9.5 and 18 per cent of people each year are imprisoned unlawfully for having failed to pay Council Tax despite the fact that they had not committed a criminal offence; further notes that from 2010 to 2017, between 66 and 125 of the 692 people imprisoned for non-payment of Council Tax were imprisoned without lawful reason, and that these figures are an underestimate as they do not take into account many other reasons as to why such orders have been deemed unlawful by the Administrative Court following Judicial Review Proceedings; notes that this is one of the largest mass miscarriages of justice in British legal history; calls upon the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to urgently remove the provision which allows imprisonment for failure to pay Council Tax; and notes that those wrongfully imprisoned should be informed and supported to seek redress for having their lives irrevocably and detrimentally affected by their incarceration which adversely impacts upon them, their children and minor dependents and, in addition, puts a considerable and unnecessary burden on public resources which is entirely disproportionate to the amount being claimed for non-payment of Council Tax.
Local government
Prisons
Taxation
Barry Sheerman
2018-02-08
Proposed
Huddersfield
Labour
Kelvin Hopkins
2018-02-20
Seconded
Luton North
Labour
Ruth Cadbury
2018-02-20
Seconded
Brentford and Isleworth
Labour
Ronnie Campbell
2018-02-21
Seconded
Blyth Valley
Labour
Jim Shannon
2018-02-21
Seconded
Strangford
DUP
Marie Rimmer
2018-02-21
Seconded
St Helens South and Whiston
Labour
Mary Glindon
2018-02-21
Signed
North Tyneside
Labour
Thelma Walker
2018-02-22
Signed
Colne Valley
Labour
Ruth George
2018-02-26
Signed
High Peak
Labour
Jared O'Mara
2018-02-27
Signed
Sheffield, Hallam
Independent
Virendra Sharma
2018-02-27
Signed
Ealing, Southall
Labour
Daniel Zeichner
2018-02-28
Signed
Cambridge
Labour
Joan Ryan
2018-02-28
Signed
Stephen Doughty
2018-02-28
Signed
Cardiff South and Penarth
Labour
Chris Williamson
2018-03-05
Signed
Derby North
Labour
Hilary Benn
2018-03-13
Signed
Leeds Central
Labour
Sandy Martin
2018-03-22
Signed
Ipswich
Labour
Roger Godsiff
2018-03-26
Signed
Birmingham, Hall Green
Labour
Margaret Hodge
2018-04-26
Signed
Barking
Labour
David Crausby
2018-05-16
Signed
Bolton North East
Labour