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Written question asked by Chris Mullin (Labour) on Wednesday, 12 October 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 14 October 2005. It was answered by Charles Clarke (Labour) on Monday, 21 November 2005 on behalf of the Home Office.

Anti-terrorism Legislation

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) detained and (b) arrested under powers in anti-terrorism legislation and subsequently (i) released without charge or (ii) not charged with an offence relating to terrorism in (A) each of the five years up to the end of 2004 and (B) in the first nine months of this year.
Answer

Section 45(4) of the Terrorism Act 2000 confers the power to detain a person only for the amount of time reasonably required to conduct a search authorised by virtue of section 44 of the Act. Records for stops and searches carried out under these powers and subsequent arrests under anti-terrorism legislation are shown in the following table.No information is collated centrally on the charges arising from these particular arrests subsequent to the use of stop and search powers.Total stops and searches under section 44 for the financial year 2004–05 will be published in December this year. Data for the financial year 2005–06 will be published in December 2006.Detention under anti-terrorism legislation is also provided for following an arrest under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Figures available show that between 11 September 2001 and 30 September 2005, 895 people were arrested under this power. Of these, 138 were charged with offences under the Terrorism Act. The remainder were either released without charge or dealt with under other legislation.

Stops and searches Arrests
1999–2000 1,900 1
2000–01 6,400 1
2001–02 10,200 20
2002–03 32,100 18
2003–04 33,800 19
(85) Conducted under sections 13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989, which preceded powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
(86) Conducted under 13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989, and section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
(87) Under section 44.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
18605; 439 c1730-1W;439 c1732-3W
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Detainees Arrests Terrorism
Legislation
Terrorism Act 2000
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk