Prevention of Terrorism Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 8:45 am on 10 March 2005.

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Photo of John Denham John Denham Chair, Home Affairs Committee 8:45, 10 March 2005

Interventions sometimes read well in Hansard, and sometimes they do not. I think that the hon. Gentleman will find that that one does not. However, I am glad that he got to his feet, as he has just justified the fact that the previous Conservative Government introduced an order that restricted the freedom of British citizens but which had no legal process or test, and no examination of evidence.

I quite accept that some control orders would be less intrusive than the exclusion orders. Some would be more intrusive, but this Bill contains a test. It provides for judicial process and a test of evidence. The Opposition never wanted that.

We have established that the principle in respect of evidence has never concerned the Opposition. Reasonable people can take different views, and that is fair enough, but this House has considered the evidence question and come to a view.

The second substantial issue that I want to raise is that of the sunset clause.