The Earl of Stocktonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are yet able to respond to Lord Lloyd of Berwick's recommendations in the report of his inquiry into legislation against terrorism.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)The noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick, has produced a thoughtful and comprehensive set of recommendations for new, permanent counter-terrorism legislation covering the whole of the United Kingdom in the event of a lasting peace being established in Northern Ireland. My right honourable friend and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are grateful for this work; but in the continuing absence of a lasting peace they believe that it is too early to reach a firm view on possible fundamental legislative change. They hope that there will soon be a permanent cessation of violence which would enable us to look again at the possibility of providing a new legislative framework for combatting terrorism.
The Government do however intend to bring forward in due course proposals to strengthen existing controls on terrorist finances, along the lines of Lord Lloyd's very helpful analysis. These proposals will include extending existing controls more widely to international terrorism.