Further written evidence to be reported to the House
Counter-Terrorism Bill
10:30 am
Crispin Blunt (Whip, Whips; Reigate, Conservative)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Bercow. The Hansard of our proceedings records the hon. Member for Reading, West asking:
“how many serious terrorist plots the police and the security services have disrupted since the London bombings of 7/7?”
Sir Ian’s answer was:
“I will stretch to something like 12, but where would you get to, Bob?”
Bob Quick replied:
“I am still being briefed on the very complex history to fighting terrorism, but my understanding is in the order of about 15 occasions.”——[Official Report, Counter-Terrorism Public Bill Committee, 22 April 2008; c. 15.]
That ended up splashed on the front of two London newspapers, but the Committee and I, on reading The Sunday Times, discovered that that factor had been exaggerated by 100 to 150 per cent., depending on whose version one took. I rang the Clerk as soon as we were in this morning—I thought I must have missed a correction from the Metropolitan police, because there is a reference to the Metropolitan police attempting to make a correction. There has been no communication with the Committee. If that had not been in the newspapers, the Committee would be in complete ignorance of the main advocate for a change in our legislation exaggerating his case by 100 to 150 per cent. That is a serious matter.