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Home Affairs and Communities

I appreciate that my hon. Friend and others have such concerns. When the Bill is published, I should like her to look in detail at the range of information on certain individuals that we are discussing, which is not in fact substantial, and at how it operates. I should also like her to look at the safeguards. An enormous range of information is already held in both the public sector—on police information databases, on the police national computer and in fingerprint records—and in the private sector, in relation to such matters as financial dealings. I respect her point of view, but I ask her to read the Bill carefully, and balance those considerations against the benefits to society that would arise from it. As I said at the outset, I am not prepared to embark on an election campaign in the future while deep concerns throughout society about antisocial behaviour, criminal justice and sentencing, and immigration and asylum can provide fuel for irresponsible political parties. The purpose of the whole of this Parliament, and the Queen’s Speech in particular, is to lay the foundations for the elimination of the problems that exist and that are perceived to exist. That is our commitment, and I hope it will be supported by Members in all parts of the House.