---

Terrorist Asset-Freezing (Temporary Provisions) Bill

I am very happy to give the noble Baroness a short and pithy response if it assists her. However, I think that both the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, and the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, have already identified some of the difficulties that the noble Baroness’s proposal raises. To deal with those proposals properly would take some little time. The provisions that the noble Baroness proposes would require the threat to have been from a Government or a person outside the United Kingdom. This would specifically get round the reason why the Act could not be used for domestic terrorism. However, even if it worked, it would mean designations on a reasonable belief basis, and we do not believe that that would be the right standard. Parliament would have to review the information relied on for a designation. It would require both Houses to approve designation within 28 days although many of our cases will have been charged or conducted on the basis of intelligence. In either instance, we could not disclose information of that sort. There are very many issues. I say to the noble Baroness, with the greatest respect and understanding, that we are all trying to do the very best we can. However, the decision that was made by the Supreme Court was to enable Parliament to have sufficient time to discuss and debate these issues with a sense of decorum and propriety. I know that that is what the noble Baroness wants, and I know that that is what every person who has spoken in this debate wants. It is simply impossible for us to do justice to the issue which the noble Baroness wishes to raise in such a truncated process. I therefore invite her to think very carefully about the response that she has had both from the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, and the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes.