§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his timetable for implementing his proposal for a new offence of gathering information for terrorist purposes; and what is his estimate of the cost in this financial year and in 1994–95;
(2) what is his timetable for implementing his proposal for a new offence of possession in relation to terrorist activities; and what is his estimate of the cost in this financial year and in 1994–95.
§ Mr. HowardI intend to take the earliest legislative opportunity to create new offences of collecting information likely to be useful to terrorists and of possessing items intended for terrorist purposes. There are no resource implications for this financial year. Thereafter they are likely to be minimal.