§ Mr. WoodwardTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what plans the Government have to review the guidelines given to magistrates on granting bail to repeat offenders; [36105]
(2) what recent guidelines he has given to magistrates on granting bail to repeat offenders. [36106]
840W
§ Mr. WillsBail is a matter solely for the court before which a defendant appears. It would not be right for a Government Minister to interfere with the process of independent judicial discretion which magistrates exercise under the Bail Act 1976, which governs the granting of bail. Accordingly, no guidelines have been issued by the Lord Chancellor's Department in relation to the granting of bail to repeat offenders and there are no plans to review this position.