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Proceeding contribution from Lord West of Spithead (Labour) in the House of Lords on Wednesday, 26 January 2011. It occurred during Ministerial statement on Counterterrorism Review.


Counterterrorism Review

That is me. Thank you very much indeed. I congratulate the noble Baroness and the coalition on actually having a review, because that is needed. Indeed, we need to have one constantly. No one was ever happy with control orders; they needed to be looked at. I am also delighted that it has seen that they were necessary for the very small number of people who were a threat to this nation. To try and pretend that they are not now control orders is pushing things a little. I would be interested to know what these new restrictions will be called. My advice would be not to call them anything, or else they will become another shy that people will throw things at. I am also very concerned about resource. A very limited resource is available, both in manpower and in money. We know that there are real problems with money across all areas of government and I am concerned about the full amount of resource that will be required. Also, if we go for these slightly lesser periods of people being in their homes and so on, we will go back to the period before I became a Minister when people actually absconded. Will the Minister reassure us that she is absolutely certain that that will not become a feature again, because clearly that is a real risk with this very tiny number of people? I say to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd, that there is no doubt whatever that many other countries use other mechanisms to stop very dangerous people from being on their streets, some of which would be quite abhorrent in this country, so I do not think that we need to feel ashamed. I also thank the coalition for reassuring me; I began to feel that I might have been authoritarian and trying to have a police state. The people who were formerly Lib Dems certainly made me feel that. Now, I am delighted that the coalition clearly understands how important these security issues are and, as I say, I congratulate it on keeping measures in place for that tiny number of people who wish to do us harm.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
724 c974-5 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Civil liberties Counter-terrorism Curfews Detainees Deportation Exclusion orders Foreign nationals Internet Local government Police Powers Mobile phones Photography Travel Terrorism Stop and search Surveillance Telecommunications Anti-terrorism control orders Radicalism Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation Counter-terrorism and Security Powers Review
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk