Clause 68
Counter-Terrorism Bill
9:00 am
Tony McNulty (Minister of State (Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing), Home Office; Harrow East, Labour)
Funnily enough, we start with consensus, in the sense that neither Lord Carlile nor I argue that the change broadens the offence. If it adds anything, it is clarity, because where “religious” is already utilised in our law, it has increasingly been the case that “racial” has been added as well. I agree broadly that anything that is racially motivated would be captured by the original wording. However, Lord Carlile says that the words are added only for clarity—not political correctness or any such nonsense—and to bring our definition in line with European and international ones, given that UN Security Council resolution 1566, which defines terrorism, includes the word “racial”, and the Council of Europe convention on the prevention of terrorism 2003/32 also uses that word. That is the only reason that the words are added.