§ 10. Mr. St. John-Stevasasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on bail applications and the position of the police.
§ Mr. CallaghanIt is for the courts to deal with bail applications and for the police to bring any relevant matters to their notice.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that at the moment many people are being held in prison when they have not heard the charges against them, including a man who was held in prison for 11 weeks on a petty pilfering charge? Is there not a need for a thorough review of the bail system?
§ Mr. CallaghanI do not think that there is. The Criminal Justice Act, 1967, introduced restrictions on the powers of magistrates to remand in custody. It has brought a small but significant reduction in the proportion of persons remanded or committed for trial in custody. I would not wish to go any further than that.
§ Mr. RoseWill my right hon. Friend look into the question of bail applications pending appeal? Is he aware that, in one case, a man served five months of a nine-month sentence, which meant five-sixths of his actual sentence, and was acquitted on appeal? Will he ensure that such a thing does not happen again, especially as the man concerned had been convicted on a first offence?
§ Mr. CallaghanI am not aware of those facts, but obviously that is an unsatisfactory position. I do not argue from the particular to the general in this matter. There are a great many cases where it is necessary to remand people in custody.