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Terrorism Bill

I really do not think that the late Lord Callaghan, who was, indeed, a great Prime Minister, would have been foolish enough to bring such a proposition to the House of Commons. The House of Commons would not have needed to deal with that. I fear that the import of this change has not been understood. At present a person can be held for a maximum of 14 days, after which he has to be released unless he is charged with something or other. What the Prime Minister and the Government proposed was that that should be increased by 600 per cent from 14 days to 90 days in one fell swoop. That is an enormous step. If they had done it in steps to see how we got on at the various stages it might have been more acceptable, but to increase it by 600 per cent at one fell swoop invited opposition, and they got opposition. Far from being criticised, the people in the Labour Party who had the courage to oppose an oppressive increase in detention without trial or charge should be congratulated. Indeed, they have given this House the opportunity to have a discussion about the whole matter. Noble Lords have said here today that the police recommended 90 days. The police were quite entitled to recommend 90 days, so were the other forces entitled to recommend 90 days, but the Government have the duty to consider what is said and to decide what they believe is good in a democratic society. The Government do not have to agree to everything that the police propose; that is the way to a police state, and that is why it is correct and absolutely essential that the views of Parliament and the decisions of Parliament are taken into account. If we are to go along this line, if the amendment is carried and if the House of Commons accepts it, we are not likely to improve the apprehension of terrorists or the prevention of terrorism; we are likely in fact to exacerbate terrorism, because the terrorists are observed to be just one section of our society. They will feel, under this regime, that they are being targeted and they are the ones who risk being put in prison for three months, because that is what it amounts to—