History
The Act was passed in 1996; it received Royal Assent in July of that year, and was expected to be implemented in spring 1997. However, it was not put into force before the 1997 general election. In 2000 the Home Office reported it was studying implementing the Act, whilst in 2008 the Ministry of Justice announced that the complicated nature of the Act suggested it would cost an unreasonable amount to administer.
The Conservative Party stated their intention to implement the Act in their manifesto for the 2010 general election, and secured an agreement with the Liberal Democrats to make it part of their joint coalition agreement. A statutory instrument dated 5 July specified 26 September 2011 as the commencement date for the Act.
As implemented September 2011, the Act will result in a 40% pay cut for 500 prisoners, and is expected to raise up to £1m a year.
Read more about this topic: Prisoners' Earnings Act 1996
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Man watches his history on the screen with apathy and an occasional passing flicker of horror or indignation.”
—Conor Cruise O’Brien (b. 1917)
“In the history of the United States, there is no continuity at all. You can cut through it anywhere and nothing on this side of the cut has anything to do with anything on the other side.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)
“Don’t give your opinions about Art and the Purpose of Life. They are of little interest and, anyway, you can’t express them. Don’t analyse yourself. Give the relevant facts and let your readers make their own judgments. Stick to your story. It is not the most important subject in history but it is one about which you are uniquely qualified to speak.”
—Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)