Motorists fined for speeding might have to pay an extra fine

The Conservatives and motoring organisations denounced the idea as illogical and counter-productive.

Motorists given a prison term or suspended sentence would pay �30 to a Home Office fund providing victim and witness compensation and support.

Those fined for speeding or driving without insurance would face a levy of �5 or �10 under the government plan.

The plan, published on Monday, is one of several proposed changes to the funding of victim support services.

Tories said the measures would unfairly target minor offenders while leaving "real criminals laughing all the way to the bank".

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "This counterproductive scheme will penalise minor traffic offenders who have nothing to do with bringing misery to the victims of serious crimes.

"This government has found someone else to pay for their actions."

Andrew Howard of the AA told BBC News it would be yet another cost "dumped on top of" drivers.

This counterproductive scheme will penalise minor traffic offenders who have nothing to do with bringing misery to the victims of serious crimes Shadow home secretary David Davis

"We already pay mandatory insurance," he said.

"We pay a mandatory levy to cover those that do not insure themselves. We pay tax on top of that.

"And there are all sorts of other areas where we pay money."

The RAC said the government was likely to alienate the normally law-abiding majority whose support it most needed.

Anthony Forsyth of Victim Support said that while the charity supported moves to improve services it was "uncomfortable" with the use of income from fines.

"Our position has always been that services for victims should come out of core [government] funding," he said.

"We are uncomfortable with the idea of linking this extra income with these sorts of minor offences."

Most of the proposals would apply in England and Wales only.

HAVE YOUR SAY Once again we find the motorist as an easy source of revenue for the Treasury C. Beaven, Stevenage, Herts Send us your comments

Publishing the consultation paper, Home Secretary David Blunkett said: "The effect of crime on the lives of its victims can be devastating.

"A lump sum of compensation alone does not repair this damage, and the current scheme does not enable us to provide the wide range of support needed."

Enforcement rate

He said a victims' fund would put more money into services such as practical support, information to victims of rape and sexual offences, road traffic accident victims and those who have been bereaved as a result of crime.

"We want compensation to victims come from the most appropriate sources."

Parking fines would be exempt from the new levy.

Other on-the-spot fines, such as being drunk in public or making a hoax 999 call, would also carry the extra charge.

Home Office minister Baroness Scotland told BBC News 24 that "a lot of people out there, if asked, would not mind paying an additional 5 or 10 pounds if it is going to go towards the victims of crime getting the sort of counselling, the help and wider support they need".

The surcharges would raise �28m a year if they were all collected, but with an expected 60% enforcement rate they would raise just under �17m, the Home Office paper said.