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Terrorism Bill

My Lords, like everybody else I was glad and relieved that intention was to be an ingredient in the offence of dissemination. I added my name to this amendment before I saw the government amendment—indeed, before the government amendment had even seen the light of day. Having now seen both amendments, I believe that Amendment No. 17 is the better of the two. Both are designed to ensure that we catch the people we want to catch, and nobody else. The difference is that Amendment No. 17 does so in a fairly simple and straightforward way that we can all understand. Amendment No. 20 is not so simple. The Home Office seems to have a special genius at the moment for unnecessary complication. Why must we talk, as Amendment No. 20 does, about persons who ““should include persons””, when we can be so much simpler? Clause 1 of the Bill is intended to catch those who publish statements encouraging terrorism. Clause 2 is intended to catch those who disseminate those statements. Both should surely have the same mental element, which is to encourage terrorism—or the same recklessness, although I do not deal with that now. That is what Amendment No. 17 will ensure. Is there anything which the Minister would wish to see covered in it which is not there? I believe not. Nothing in Amendment No. 17 will leave those who need protection unprotected. If I am right in that, I hope the House will vote for it on the principle of Occam’s razor, that words should not be multiplied unnecessarily. Amendment No. 17 is the simpler amendment, and I invite your Lordships to accept it.