Contributions
2,978 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q Good. Thank you. We have heard TPIMs and the burden of proof extensively debated, and we have questions about why the burden of proof should be lower—reasonable suspicion rather…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q I will try to self-censor, Mr Robertson, for brevity. I will start by asking a general question. Assistant Chief Constable, you are responsible for counter-terrorism policing.…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q I have one further question, which is on a different part of the Bill: the new serious terrorism sentences and the requirement to serve all of those in prison without the…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q They would no doubt argue that they might have been in Syria and might have been members of or living in Daesh territory, but that they were not engaged in terrorist activities…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q It is clearly much harder to establish that, on the balance of probabilities, somebody was up to no good in Syria, given that the evidential base is patchy at best and possibly…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q Finally, a moment ago you posed the question, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”, and you said you were not aware of any cases where a lower burden of proof would have been…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q You mentioned the original control orders set up in 2005 by the then Labour Government, which had reasonable suspicion as the burden of proof: precisely the same burden of proof…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)It certainly would not remove it. Jonathan Hall: No.25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q It would not remove it; it would alter the balance. Jonathan Hall: Yes.25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q I want to pick up on a couple of those points. We should both try to be brief, because other Committee members want to ask questions. You mentioned that the state holds all the…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q So in the context of the Government having behaved responsibly and carefully so far, what basis do you have for being concerned about the change to the burden of proof, given…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q You said that it is inherently difficult to assess dangerousness and threat. Given that, is it not safest to get them to serve the whole of their sentence in prison, to be on…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q You mentioned the burden of proof earlier, which I am sure other Members will ask about in due course. With the TPIM regime as it stands, very few TPIMs are actually enforced.…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q But it is about risk; not all risks actualise. A risk may exist, but no consequence may follow. What we are trying to prevent with TPIMs is the risk itself. It is fair to say…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q In those hiatuses—those gaps—of between a year and almost a year and a half, there is clearly a risk to which the public is being exposed. The rationale for the proposed changes…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q You mentioned that, in the two cases where there have been renewals, there was a hiatus—a gap—between the expiry of the first TPIM and the second coming into force. Could you…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)Q May I first take the opportunity to thank you for your service as Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, Mr Hall? The whole House is very grateful for the work that you…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (First sitting)I beg to move, That— (1) the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 11.30 am on Thursday 25 June) meet; (a) at 2.00 pm on Thursday 25 June; (b) at 9.25 am and 2.00…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (Second sitting)Wow. Thank you. Professor Grubin: That does not count something that I think is important but that is always overlooked: the truthful tests with no disclosures that provide…25 Jun 2020HANSARDCounter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill (Second sitting)Q Can you quantify the information gain? Professor Grubin: I am not sure just what you would mean. I can tell you, because I checked these figures before I came, that in the…25 Jun 2020