Prevention of Terrorism Act

May I also thank the Home Secretary for his very generous advance notice of the statement and of Lord Carlile’s report? That has been of considerable assistance. I should also like to associate myself with his remarks about the composition of Lord Carlile’s report. He has brought to it his customary intellectual rigour and a very sound practical approach to issues that can be complex and involved. In respect of control orders, Lord Carlile concludes:"““In practical terms control orders have been an effective protection for national security.””" That is significant, but he also observes:"““They fall not very far short of house arrest, and certainly inhibit normal life considerably””," and"““As a last resort (only), in my view, the control order system as operated currently in its non-derogating form is a justifiable and proportional safety valve for the proper protection of civil society.””" In light of that, what action will the Home Secretary take in relation to what Lord Carlile says about the use of deportation detention, as outlined in paragraphs 27 and 28? He states:"““However, I have a real concern about the detention under deportation procedures (even where bail has been granted) of persons who in practice cannot be deported at present and are unlikely to be capable of legally compliant deportation within a reasonable time.””" That sounds like something dangerously close to an abuse of process. Will the Home Secretary also ensure that Lord Carlile’s conclusions in respect of letters issued by chief constables will be acted on? He observes:"““Little is given by way of reasons””" when chief constables certify that there is"““no realistic prospect of prosecution.””" Finally, will the Home Secretary act on Lord Carlile’s recommendation that there should be established"““a Home Office led procedure whereby officials and representatives of the control authorities meet regularly to monitor each case, with a view to advising on a continuing basis as to the necessity of the obligations imposed on each controlee””?" I welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement about a new Bill that I hope will receive some pre-legislative scrutiny. I have told him already in private that I consider that to be a sensible way to proceed, although I hope that it will be possible to look again at the indicative timetable that he has proposed, as that would not allow anything to reach the statute book inside two years. Will he assure the House that the new Bill will not be used as an excuse for revisiting matters on which hon. Members have already expressed a very clear view? Finally, I share the Home Secretary’s frustration at the lack of consensus on these matters. It is clearly preferable to proceed with consensus, if that is at all possible. I fear that the fault is shared by all parties, and I hope that he will ensure that his words are heard in No. 10 Downing street.