Schedule 1
Counter-Terrorism Bill
4:00 pm
Adrian Bailey (PPS (Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth, Minister of State), Ministry of Defence; West Bromwich West, Labour)
I have listened to the hon. Gentleman’s argument, and I understand his logic, but he has missed an important factor: first, terrorists, by definition, are people who are going to destroy human lives; and secondly, we have received considerable evidence from the police saying that in effect, pre-emptive intervention is highly necessary. They mean that they need to arrest people before they would normally arrest people who carry out illegal activity in other areas. In other words, the police are able to secure evidence more easily before they make the arrest when they deal with other crimes. Does the hon. Gentleman not accept that that is a valid point?