§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any proposals to eradicate any disparities in the granting of bail as between black and white defendants; and if he will make a statement.
404W
31 December 1979 Chief Constable Deputy Chief Constable Assistant Chief Constable Chief Superintendent Superintendent Chief Inspector Inspector Sergeant Constable Totals Force E S E S E S E S E S E S E S E S E S E S Avon and Somerset 1 1 1 1 3 3 15 15 32 31 76 71 133 131 452 440 2,240 2,168 2,953 2,861 Bedfordshire 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 13 14 16 17 50 51 137 141 723 692 947 923 Cambridgeshire 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 6 13 14 26 24 49 51 181 175 861 814 1,140 1.087 Cheshire 1 1 1 1 2 2 8 9 22 21 31 31 102 107 278 273 1,360 1,353 1,805 1,803 Cleveland 1 1 1 1 1 2 7 7 19 19 27 26 82 83 229 223 1,050 1,049 1,418 1,411 Cumbria 1 1 1 1 1 2 7 7 16 16 24 24 69 68 171 171 823 782 1,113 1,012 Derbyshire 1 1 1 1 1 2 8 8 26 28 28 35 94 100 256 243 1,296 1,339 1,712 1,757 Devon and Cornwall 1 1 1 1 1 3 13 14 31 34 53 52 124 124 440 425 2,007 1,985 2,673 2,639 Dorset 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 4 15 15 22 22 53 59 172 175 895 881 1,164 1,159 Durham 1 1 1 1 2 2 8 8 19 18 29 28 73 71 212 204 1,004 980 1,349 1.313 Dyfed Powys 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 7 10 10 24 24 36 36 155 156 699 682 934 918 Essex 1 1 1 1 3 3 11 11 26 25 60 58 108 111 419 408 1,904 1,885 2,533 2,503 Gloucestershire 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 6 14 14 19 19 57 58 170 169 847 830 1,116 1,099 Greater Manchester 1 1 1 1 6 5 27 29 92 93 136 148 408 413 1,065 1,071 5,030 4,892 6.766 6,653 Gwent 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 6 10 10 22 21 44 44 142 144 748 730 975 958 Hampshire 1 1 1 1 3 3 14 14 29 29 66 62 116 121 425 418 2,379 2,296 3,034 2,945 Hertfordshire 1 1 1 1 2 2 9 9 21 21 33 31 81 82 258 238 1,127 1,081 1,533 1,466 Humberside 1 1 1 1 2 2 10 10 25 27 38 37 100 100 314 311 1,448 1,384 1,939 1,879 Kent 1 1 1 1 3 4 11 11 34 34 51 54 159 168 415 417 2,167 2,118 2,842 2,808 Lancashire 1 1 1 1 4 4 15 10 44 45 69 68 149 151 511 511 2,344 2,292 3,138 3,089 Leicestershire 1 1 1 1 2 2 7 7 24 23 35 35 87 90 284 284 1,265 1,258 1,706 1,701 Lincolnshire 1 1 1 1 2 2 7 7 14 15 29 29 63 62 180 179 835 871 1,182 1,167 Merseyside 1 1 1 1 4 5 17 20 59 60 65 69 226 231 694 701 3,384 3,381 4,451 4,469 Norfolk 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 6 15 14 24 26 64 63 190 186 962 939 1,265 1,237 Northamptonshire 1 1 1 1 1 — 7 7 13 12 24 24 54 54 149 146 728 681 978 926 Northumbria 1 1 1 1 3 2 13 13 48 51 61 60 187 190 505 511 2,506 2,510 3,325 3,339 North Wales 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 7 18 18 30 30 58 59 207 204 986 950 1,309 1,271 North Yorkshire 1 1 1 1 2 1 7 7 17 16 29 29 74 73 207 202 1,030 1,008 1,368 1,338 Nottinghamshire 1 1 1 1 2 2 9 9 35 34 41 42 131 130 331 316 1,709 1,590 2,260 2,125 South Wales 1 1 1 1 3 3 13 13 42 42 62 63 178 178 529 518 2,240 2,206 3.069 3,025 South Yorkshire 1 1 1 1 3 3 11 11 37 37 44 43 150 150 428 426 2,077 1,972 2,752 2,644 Staffordshire 1 1 1 1 3 3 11 11 27 27 49 49 101 102 335 325 1,538 1,496 2,066 2,015 Suffolk 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 6 11 12 28 28 53 52 166 163 856 841 1,123 1,105 Surrey 1 1 1 1 2 2 8 8 21 22 29 30 77 75 247 240 1,216 1,081 1,602 1,460 Sussex 1 1 1 1 3 3 11 14 39 38 42 44 150 157 458 460 2,106 2,059 2,811 2,777 Thames Valley 1 1 1 1 3 2 12 12 41 41 60 62 135 138 459 446 2,293 2,061 3,005 2,764 Warwickshire 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 6 11 12 19 18 52 53 139 139 646 652 876 883 West Mercia 1 1 1 1 2 2 10 10 29 29 37 35 121 115 282 259 1,351 1,385 1,834 1,837 West Midlands 1 1 1 1 5 5 20 21 79 81 116 112 359 360 1,041 1,005 4,887 4,574 6,509 6,160 West Yorkshire 1 1 1 1 6 6 26 26 70 70 88 88 285 285 808 796 3,819 3,526 5,104 4,799 Wiltshire 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 6 11 11 23 23 46 47 148 148 795 769 1,032 1007 City of London 11 11 21 21 31 31 7 7 12 13 18 18 66 61 154 146 762 586 1,022 834 Metropolitan 16 16 215 216 352 352 201 178 259 214 394 465 1,204 1,197 4,264 3,812 20,194 16,542 26,589 22,482 Totals 48 48 57 58 148 146 627 614 1,443 1,410 2,197 2,274 6,008 6,057 18,607 17,925 89,187 83,176 118,322 111,708 1Includes ranks of Assistant Commissioner and above in Metropolitan police, and Commissioner in City of London police. 2Includes Deputy Assistant Commissioner in Metropolitan police, and Assistant Commissioner in City of London police. 3Includes Commanders in Metropolitan police and City of London police. E=Authorised establishment. S=Actual force strength.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 12 July 1988]: Decisions on whether bail should be granted in any particular case are entirely a matter for the courts.
Research is currently being undertaken in the Home Office into the experience of ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system. This will include the question of bail. The results of this research are expected to be published early next year.