The level of unpaid fines owed to Scottish courts has been put at a "breathtaking" �20m over the past four years, figures have shown.

Scottish National Party justice spokeswoman Roseanna Cunningham blamed the amount on the "complacency" of the Scottish Executive.

The figures emerged in a series of written parliamentary answers to the MSP.

Ms Cunningham claimed the figures showed courts used civil powers available to them to recover only two hundreds of 1% of all fines imposed.

Roseanna Cunningham condemned the situation

She said: "These figures are nothing short of breathtaking.

"It is difficult to comprehend the staggering level of complacency that allows �20m worth of money owed to the public purse to remain uncollected.

"The fact that the courts do not use the civil powers available to them to collect outstanding fines simply adds insult to the injury."

She questioned why fine defaulters were being sent to prison, adding to overcrowding, when powers were not being used to recover money.

"It would seem obvious to anyone with a modicum of common sense that we should use the powers we have to collect outstanding fines."

Highlighting statistics showing that in the year 2000, 41% of non-violent offenders sent to prison were fine defaulters, she said: "It is no wonder that Scotland has one of the highest prison populations in Western Europe, and it is no wonder that our prisons are creaking at the seams and we have record levels of overcrowding in places such as Cornton Vale."

The executive said a review was under way in the areas of the justice system referred to by the SNP.

A spokeswoman said: "The majority of fines are paid in full. However, the McInnes committee established by the Executive is carrying out a wide-ranging review of summary justice and is likely to make recommendations in relation to fine enforcement."