Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Prison Population Projections 2020 to 2026, England and Wales, published on 26 November 2020, whether the projected increase in the use of remand reflects departmental policy.

The prison remand population is projected to increase after September 2021 due to the impact of the planned recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers and the additional 3,400 officers already recruited through precept funding, which are likely to increase charge volumes. The data does not anticipate any changes in either policy or judicial behaviour.

The decision to remand an individual in custody or to grant bail is entirely a matter for the courts acting in accordance with the law. The Bail Act 1976 creates a presumption in favour of bail for all defendants involved in criminal proceedings. The court will decide, by carrying out a risk assessment and on a case by case basis, whether the defendant presents such a bail risk to the public or the administration of justice as to warrant a remand in custody.