asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals for the provision of additional bail hostels; and if he will make a statement.

There are no immediate proposals to provide new hostels. Not only bail hostels, but combined probation and bail hostels, and all probation hostels, make places available for persons on bail. In England and Wales there is a total of 102 approved hostels with over 1,800 places. During the last 12 months, 22 additional places have been provided by expanding existing hostels. In 1986 average occupancy was 78·7 per cent. of the approved number of places. There thus appears to be no general shortage of places and the Home Office has no present evidence of serious difficulties in finding places locally. We are co-operating with the Association of Chief Officers of Probation, however, in research to establish more certainly the need for such accommodation and the position is kept under constant review.