§ Dame Jill KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure that bail is not available to those previously convicted of rape if they are brought before a court on a subsequent charge of a crime involving violence.
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§ Mr. JackAt present we have no plans to introduce legislation for this purpose. The Bail Act 1976, as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1988, already makes special provision for cases in which a defendant is accused of murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, rape or attempted rape. It requires a court which grants bail to such a defendant in the face of prosecution objections to give its reasons for so doing. This provision is intended to ensure that the court addresses the issue fully.