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Terrorism Bill

I have no expertise to offer in this debate. I listened to the noble Baronesses, Lady Ramsay of Cartvale and Lady Park, and to the noble Lord, Lord Imbert, with close attention, but I am not fit to make the judgment which they make on the basis of so much expertise. I rise to make one very old-fashioned point only, the relevance of which the Committee will judge. I had the very great honour of serving under James Callaghan in No. 10 Downing Street when he was Prime Minister of our country. We think nowadays of Jim Callaghan as the great statesman he turned out to be, but he was a pretty wily politician too. I think back to those days. Let us suppose that Mr Callaghan had been faced with a situation such as faces our country today. Let us suppose that, after due consideration and reflection, and after consulting as widely as was necessary, including with the opposition parties, he had said to Parliament that in his considered judgment a detention period of 90 days was the right one for the country. It is frankly inconceivable that Parliament would have turned him down. Some noble Lords will think that change in our society has been for the better but I am afraid that I do not.