Terrorist Training Camps

HL Deb 21 January 1999 vol 596 c116WA

Lord Harris of Greenwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have investigated the activities of so-called terrorist training camps in the United Kingdom, in order to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed. [HL487]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Government is determined to ensure that this country is not used as a base for the planning and preparation of terrorism here or abroad. Where there is evidence of anyone conspiring in the United Kingdom to commit criminal offences in other countries, they can now be brought before our courts under the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998. There have been a number of reports of "training camps" in this country allegedly linked to terrorism. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary said on 11 January [col. 26 of theOfficial Report of another place]: "We have not established that there was any breach of British law during such training. But the investigations are continuing".