§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure tighter safeguards for persons in custody on suspicion of terrorist offences; and if he will introduce video and sound recordings of all interviews of such persons, and immediate access to legal advice.
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§ Mr. WaddingtonThere are already safeguards in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 to ensure that interviews under the terrorist provisions are carried out properly and that those detained are properly treated. New provision was made in schedule 3 of the 1989 Act, in accordance with Lord Colville's recommendations in his report on the workings of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1984, for the supervision of the detention and examination powers in the Act by means of regular reviews during the first 48 hours. Any extension of detention beyond that period (up to a maximum of a further five days) requires my authority.
Preparatory work is now underway for the trial use of tape-recording in interviews with those held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. There are no proposals for video recordings in these cases.
There is already a right of access to legal advice for those detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act but I believe that it is essential that the police should continue to have the power to delay the exercise of that right for a prescribed period where it is necessary to do so and the statutory criteria are met.