Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to tighten bail conditions for people charged with offences involving knife crime.

The decision to remand an individual in custody or to grant bail is solely a matter for the courts acting in accordance with the law. The court may decide to impose conditions to ensure the defendant attends court, does not commit another offence and does not interfere with justice. Conditions that may be imposed include, but are not limited to, curfews, surrender of passports, securities, sureties, and electronic monitoring.

Matters relating to the consideration of bail, including bail conditions that may be imposed by the courts, are set out in the Bail Act 1976. Any changes to this would therefore involve making changes to primary legislation. However, the Government has no plans at present to amend the Bail Act to limit the discretion of the courts.