§ Mr. Alex Carlileasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide statistics showing the respective proportions of black, Asian and white defendants acquitted during 1985 and 1986 by courts in England and Wales following remands in custody until trial.
§ Mr. John PattenThe available information is given in the following table. However, the figures are to an unknown extent too low because for a substantial proportion of the untried prisoners the outcome of the court proceeding was not known—10 per cent. for the 1985 data and 19 per cent. for the 1986 data. Further analysis by ethnic origin of remand prisoners was published in "The ethnic origins of prisoners: the prison population on 30 June 1985 and persons received, July 1984-March 1985." (Table 16 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 17/86.)
possible to assess how many young Scots are obtaining prescriptions in this way. The Metropolitan Police are working closely with their colleagues in other forces and with the Drugs Inspectorate on this problem; and they will take appropriate action when circumstances allow. The situation is being carefully monitored.