HC Deb 14 February 2000 vol 344 cc414-5W
Ms Roseanna Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Executive, (b) Scottish bodies and (c) the Scottish Parliament regarding the impact of the Terrorism Bill on devolved areas of responsibility. [109563]

Mr. Straw

Under Section 30 and Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998, responsibility for the special powers and other special provisions for dealing with terrorism is reserved. Six organisations representing Scottish interests offered responses to the Government consultation paper "Legislation Against Terrorism" and their views, along with those of all other contributors, were taken into account in preparing the Terrorism Bill, Officials from this Department have been in regular contact with officials from the Scottish Executive about the contents of the Terrorism Bill.

I am regularly in touch with the First Minister and the Minister for Justice about a wide range of issues, and I greatly value the co-operative spirit in which these discussions take place.