Security Screen

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 2:13 pm on 22 April 2004.

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Photo of Oliver Heald Oliver Heald Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 2:13, 22 April 2004

I think that three factors together pose the great risk, and the screen is a measure—it is a limited one, and it is not the only one that will be needed—that addresses them. First, nowadays, weapons are available that were not previously available, including powders and gases that are not as easy to detect as other weapons on coming into the House. Secondly, whereas for many years terrorists and those who were a threat would act with their own safety taken into account, that is not the case nowadays. There are suicide bombers, and the amount of time available to deal with such a threat is minimal. Thirdly, we are one of the very few Parliaments that has a predictable pattern of behaviour—[Interruption.] We may not be predictable on every issue, but we have an agenda, week after week—