asked Her Majesty's Government:How many reports were prepared on persons remanded on bail for psychiatric examination in each of the years 1976 to 1979 inclusive; and how many reports were prepared on persons remanded on bail and in custody respectively for psychiatric examination in 1979 in each police force area in England and Wales.

Information on the number of psychiatric reports prepared by medical officers on persons remanded on bail is normally included in Report on thework of the Prison Department (Paragraph 157 of the issue for 1979, Cmnd. 7965); the information for the years 1976 to 1979 is brought together in the following table. For the total number of such reports in 1979 on persons remanded in custody I would refer the noble Lord to the reply given to a Question by him on 10th October (Official Report, vol. 413, cols. 715–716). A breakdown by police force area is not available.