§ Mr. David HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bail hostels in England and Wales have been sited in villages.
§ Mr. JackThere are currently 28 bail and 81 probation/bail hostels in England and Wales. Of these, three bail and 12 probation/bail hostels are located in smaller communities outside urban areas.
§ Mr. David HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will set out the statutory procedures, step by step, which are required prior to a decision for siting a bail hostel being made.
§ Mr. JackHostels are established under powers given by section 49 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973. The procedure is for the relevant area probation or voluntary management committee to decide upon the exact location of a hostel and to obtain the necessary planning consent locally.
Apart from obtaining planning permission from the relevant planning authority, there are no statutory procedures laid down for the siting of bail hostels.
The Home Office is now producing guidance on developing new hostels which will include matters concerning local consultation when a particular site is being considered. In future probation and voluntary committees will have to follow this guidance.