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Written question asked by Will Forster (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 9 October 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. It was answered by Dan Jarvis (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 October 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.


Palestine Action

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been detained and questioned under counterterrorism legislation since the proscription of Palestine Action, including how many were questioned at the UK border.

Answer

The latest statistics on the operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000, covering the period to June 2026, were published on GOV.UK on 8 October 2026. These statistics are available at:

Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to June 2026 - GOV.UK

34 arrests were made under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in the year to June 2026. Further information on persons arrested under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 is published in Table A.02 ('Number of persons arrested under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, by period of detention and outcome').

The published statistics do not identify whether arrests under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 took place at the UK border.

Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 is a port and border power that allows examining officers to stop, question and, where necessary, detain individuals travelling through ports, airports, international rail terminals and the Northern Ireland border area in order to determine whether they are or have been involved in terrorism. As such, detentions recorded following Schedule 7 examinations relate to the exercise of these border examination powers.

1,487 detentions were made under Schedule 7 in the year to June 2026. Further information on examinations and resultant detentions under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 is published in Table S.03a ('Number of examinations made under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, with grouped self-defined ethnicity breakdowns').


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
33558
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Counter-terrorism Detainees Palestine Action
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk