Lord Falconer, Britain's Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, is expected to announce a new confiscatory power to enable the government to collect unpaid money from speed camera tickets and other fines owed to the government. This power will reside in a "National Enforcement Service" with government officers empowered to enter and search the homes of those with unpaid fines. These bailiffs could then seize and sell possessions to cover unpaid fines.

The new agency would start by targeting "hard core" offenders. Last year, 20 percent of fines imposed by the courts went unpaid. "We have achieved a lot in cracking down on fine dodgers and bail bandits but a lot remains to be done," Lord Falconer said.

"This new national enforcement service, together with the new powers we have given them, will make a huge difference in tackling the small hard core of offenders who think they can get away with it. We want to make sure there is no hiding for fine dodgers" [Lord Falconer said.]