Written question asked by Walter Sweeney (Conservative), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 18 February 1997. It was answered by Lord Blencathra (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 February 1997 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: If he will take steps to ensure that if a person appears before a court in England or Wales (a) the police and (b) the court will be made aware of outstanding (i) bail and (ii) breaches of bail in another court.

Answer: Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that if a person appears before a court in England or Wales (a) the police and (b) the court will be made aware of outstanding (i) bail and (ii) breaches of bail in another court. [15785] Mr. Maclean: The Government recognise the importance of accurate and timely information about bail to enable the police and the courts to make appropriate decisions. The inter-agency bail issues steering group, which we reconvened last summer, is examining what practical steps can be taken to improve information flows. Under the group's direction, work is nearing completion on an assessment of the impact of the changes made by the bail process project, which we set up to assess and enhance the flow of information between the criminal justice agencies. The results will be published in due course.

Secondary information