---

Terrorism Bill

I am sorry if the noble Lord is unable to follow my argument. Those two organisations both espouse peaceful political means, yet both of them glorify terrorism within the meaning of this clause and may not perhaps be the most popular organisations in the eyes of the current Prime Minister. I am using this only as an illustration, to show what happens should Plaid Cymru be proscribed and to give the Committee some idea of the scope of the Bill. The consequence of that party being proscribed would be that every member of Plaid Cymru would be liable to imprisonment for a period of 10 years. Any person organising a meeting of Plaid Cymru or addressing Plaid Cymru would be liable to the same penalty. Anyone carrying a flag or wearing a T-shirt which could give rise to the inference that he was supporting Plaid Cymru would be liable to a term imprisonment of up to six months. I hope the Committee will see that when I bring this matter down to something with which we are familiar—a peaceful, political party which has never advocated violence but nevertheless glorifies violence that has happened in the past which has actually been emulated—we get to grips with what this clause is all about: the glorification of terrorism. I hope this translation of the terms of British politics will bring home the fact that this is an extraordinarily powerful weapon that is being put in the hands of this or any government, and we oppose it.