The Viscount of Oxfuirdasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they intend to publish the report of Lord Lloyd of Berwick's Inquiry into legislation against terrorism.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)My right honourable friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have today published Lord Lloyd's report into legislation against terrorism. We have placed a copy of the report in the Library.
In December 1995 we invited Lord Lloyd to carry out an Inquiry with the following terms of reference:
"To consider the future need for specific counter-terrorism legislation in the United Kingdom if the cessation of terrorism connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland leads to a lasting peace, taking into account the continuing threat from other kinds of terrorism and the United Kingdom's obligations under international law; and to make recommendations."
We are very grateful to Lord Lloyd for his comprehensive report on this complex and difficult subject. He has looked in detail at the threat posed by terrorism of all kinds, the current legislative framework and in particular at the powers and the procedures of the police. He concludes that, even with the establishment of a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, there would still be a need for permanent legislation to counter the threat from other forms of terrorism. With this in mind, he suggests a framework for new, permanent counter-terrorism legislation covering the whole of the United Kingdom.
Lord Lloyd makes a number of specific recommendations about counter-terrorism legislation. The Government will study his recommendations carefully and will issue a formal response in due course.