§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pre-trial reports were prepared during 1981 under section 10 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 on women and men, respectively; and, of these, how many were prepared on bail and how many in custody.
§ Mr. MayhewThe Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 makes no provision for pre-trial reports. Section 10(3) empowers a court to adjourn after convicting an accused for the purpose of enabling enquiries to be made or of determining the most suitable method of dealing with the case. Information held centrally does not distinguish cases where that power is used from those where the court otherwise adjourns a case after convicting but before sentencing the accused; nor does it record cases where the adjournment was for the purpose of obtaining reports on the accused.