§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if magistrates will be able to impose the condition of participation in electronic surveillance schemes without the defendant's consent:
(2) if the consent of the defendant will be required before a condition of bail is imposed by a magistrates' court in England and Wales.
514W
§ Mr. John PattenThe defendant's consent to a condition of bail is not required under the Bail Act 1976, and the Government have no plans to alter the Act in this respect. The trials of electronic monitoring will, however, proceed on the basis that in each case the willingness of the defendant to participate in the scheme will be established before the equipment is installed.