The Justice and Home Affairs Council will be held on 27–28 April 2006 in Luxembourg. I shall be attending the meeting with my noble and learned Friend, the Attorney-General, and my noble Friend Baroness Ashton will also be attending. I thought it would be useful if I were to outline...

The Justice and Home Affairs Council will be held on 27–28 April 2006 in Luxembourg. I shall be attending the meeting with my noble and learned Friend, the Attorney-General, and my noble Friend Baroness Ashton will also be attending. I thought it would be useful if I were to outline...

The Justice and Home Affairs Council was held on 1–2 December in Brussels. I chaired the meeting along with my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor. My noble friend Baroness Ashton of Upholland also represented the presidency. I introduced the counter-terrorism...

The Justice and Home Affairs Council was held on 1–2 December in Brussels. I chaired the meeting along with my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor. My noble friend Baroness Ashton of Upholland also represented the presidency. I introduced the counter-terrorism...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is with regard to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department giving evidence to the (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) National Assembly for Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland Assembly committees; and to what categories of document he...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is with regard to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department giving evidence to the (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) National Assembly for Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland Assembly committees; and to what categories of document he...

The Justice and Home Affairs Council will be held on 1–2 December in Brussels. I shall be chairing the majority of the meeting and my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor will be chairing the items on civil justice. My noble...

The Justice and Home Affairs Council will be held on 1–2 December in Brussels. I shall be chairing the majority of the meeting and my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor will be chairing the items on civil justice. My noble...

Terrorism Bill. Third reading debate. Agreed to on question. Passed

Terrorism Bill. Third reading debate. Agreed to on question. Passed

Sometimes failure to understand is the hon. Gentleman’s characteristic. As I sought to explain in the House yesterday, the Government’s amendment for 90 days included a sunset clause for a clear reason. It was that there should be an opportunity for the House to reconsider the situation after a year’s...

Sometimes failure to understand is the hon. Gentleman’s characteristic. As I sought to explain in the House yesterday, the Government’s amendment for 90 days included a sunset clause for a clear reason. It was that there should be an opportunity for the House to reconsider the situation after a year’s...

I am certain that my hon. Friend is accurately reflecting the views of his constituents who have been in touch with him. It is always open to the Government to bring back further proposals if we wish to do so. I will shortly make a comment about that process. It...

I am certain that my hon. Friend is accurately reflecting the views of his constituents who have been in touch with him. It is always open to the Government to bring back further proposals if we wish to do so. I will shortly make a comment about that process. It...

I accept your guidance, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and will operate accordingly.

I accept your guidance, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and will operate accordingly.

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman.

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman.

I am grateful for that comment. It is the case that all recent tests of opinion, as well as the feedback that I have received informally from a large number of colleagues in the House, reflect my hon. Friend’s experience in his constituency. I know that he has always been...

I am grateful for that comment. It is the case that all recent tests of opinion, as well as the feedback that I have received informally from a large number of colleagues in the House, reflect my hon. Friend’s experience in his constituency. I know that he has always been...

You will need to advise me, Mr. Deputy Speaker, as to whether or not the phrase ““ne’er-do-well”” is a parliamentary expression. I am genuinely not sure, so I have to be careful about using it or not using it. It is true that I used the phrase outside the House...

You will need to advise me, Mr. Deputy Speaker, as to whether or not the phrase ““ne’er-do-well”” is a parliamentary expression. I am genuinely not sure, so I have to be careful about using it or not using it. It is true that I used the phrase outside the House...

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman reheats yesterday’s discussion. I reject entirely the idea that our proposals can be called internment by any other name. That is quite wrong. He should consider the issue carefully in the light of the possibility—he may reject it, but it is real—that there...

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman reheats yesterday’s discussion. I reject entirely the idea that our proposals can be called internment by any other name. That is quite wrong. He should consider the issue carefully in the light of the possibility—he may reject it, but it is real—that there...

To be frank, I accept what my hon. Friend says in his personal case. That is true. He has a long and distinguished record of combating terrorism in a variety of ways and has consistently argued for that. He has a different view of the appropriateness of the length of...

To be frank, I accept what my hon. Friend says in his personal case. That is true. He has a long and distinguished record of combating terrorism in a variety of ways and has consistently argued for that. He has a different view of the appropriateness of the length of...

The purpose is to gather evidence, rather than to change that aspect of the situation, but my hon. Friend is right. One aspect of that report that concerns me is the small number of practices that deal with such cases, which creates massive delays in the legal process, quite properly...

The purpose is to gather evidence, rather than to change that aspect of the situation, but my hon. Friend is right. One aspect of that report that concerns me is the small number of practices that deal with such cases, which creates massive delays in the legal process, quite properly...

All the numbers that the hon. Gentleman mentioned are small numbers. I can tell him some large numbers, if he is interested—a googol, for example.

All the numbers that the hon. Gentleman mentioned are small numbers. I can tell him some large numbers, if he is interested—a googol, for example.

I am not a lawyer, but one thing I have learned in this job is not necessarily to accept the advice of Gareth Peirce on anything.

I am not a lawyer, but one thing I have learned in this job is not necessarily to accept the advice of Gareth Peirce on anything.

No, I did not, but again, I am delighted that the readership of The Guardian now encompasses large numbers of Opposition Members. That is a major development. The hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) says from a sedentary position that she can read. I am delighted that in...

No, I did not, but again, I am delighted that the readership of The Guardian now encompasses large numbers of Opposition Members. That is a major development. The hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) says from a sedentary position that she can read. I am delighted that in...

Indeed. We are talking about a small number, but by definition we cannot be precise about it because by definition we do not know which terrorist conspiracies we will be able to stop and put through that process or not. But we are talking about a small number, and that...

Indeed. We are talking about a small number, but by definition we cannot be precise about it because by definition we do not know which terrorist conspiracies we will be able to stop and put through that process or not. But we are talking about a small number, and that...

I have already dealt with the hon. Gentleman’s second point. On his first point, I am grateful for his party’s general support of this approach. It is always difficult debating with Liberal Democrats, but I look forward to a proper engagement in a serious way with the individuals concerned.

I have already dealt with the hon. Gentleman’s second point. On his first point, I am grateful for his party’s general support of this approach. It is always difficult debating with Liberal Democrats, but I look forward to a proper engagement in a serious way with the individuals concerned.

I have given that assurance and I am happy to repeat it. It is obviously important that such reports are matters that inform debate on the law, and that is precisely what is intended.

I have given that assurance and I am happy to repeat it. It is obviously important that such reports are matters that inform debate on the law, and that is precisely what is intended.