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Terrorism Bill

I will very much look at amendment No. 61 in the context of this discussion, but I have an element of optimism. Progress has been made over the past 30 years, and we should commit ourselves to trying to make progress in the future. That is the right way to go. Before I sit down, I need to make one other point in relation to the previous conduct of the Committee. In exchanges yesterday with the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) and others, I suggested that I had received specific advice from the Attorney-General that the Bill is compliant with the European convention on human rights. I should clarify that the clear legal advice that I received was on the Bill’s ECHR compliance, which enabled me to sign the section 19 statement to which I referred, and did not come from the Attorney-General personally. Further, in making that statement, I inadvertently breached the long-standing convention over many Governments that the fact that the Law Officers have or have not advised on any matter and the content of their advice should not be disclosed. For breaching that long-standing convention, I want to apologise to you, Mrs. Heal, and to the Committee. Finally, I urge my hon. Friend to withdraw the amendment and hon. Members to support the Bill as arranged.