Third Delegated Legislation Committee
Wednesday 4th November 2026
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14:30
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011, otherwise referred to as Tpim powers. The continuation is for a further five years. The Draft Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 Continuation Order 2026. The order provides for the continuation of the Secretary of State's powers under the terrorism. The government takes all necessary steps to protect the public. Suspect we face in terrorism is enduring and evolving. It is vital that we have the tools necessary to keep our country safe, which includes the powers conferred on the Secretary of State and the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act, 2011. These measures ensure that where prosecution or deportation is not possible, the Secretary of State can impose specified restrictions and requirements on an individual involved in terrorism related activity, protect the public from a risk of terrorism.
Section 21 of the act states that the Secretary of State's tpim powers will expire at the end of five years from the date the act was passed, having been renewed twice in 2016 and 2021. These powers are due to expire at the end of the 30th of December 2026. With the continuing threat to the UK from terrorism. There can be no doubt that T pins remain a vital component in the UK's counter-terrorism toolkit. This position is supported by the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and the Director General of the Security Service.
The act provides the Secretary of State with powers to impose a tpim notice on an individual. If the conditions set out in section three of the act are assessed by the Secretary of State to have been met. These conditions include that she reasonably believes that the individual is or has been involved in terrorism related activity, and actually reasonably considers that it is necessary for purposes connected with protecting public members of the public from a risk of terrorism to impose such measures on the individual. In addition to the power to impose a T pin notice, the Secretary of State has powers to extend and vary a tpim notice that is in force, and to revive a tpim notice that has been revoked.
Since the introduction of the act in 2011, 33 t PIMs have been imposed as of the last published set of figures from June to August 2026 for t, PIMs were in force. T PIMs provide some of the most restrictive measures available in the democratic world. This is why they are used sparingly and only in exceptional cases involving individuals assessed to present the highest levels of terrorism related risk. Where prosecution, deportation or other disruptive measures could be insufficient to protect the public. There are also stringent, stringent safeguards, including that the Secretary, the. That the Secretary of State must be satisfied that all conditions are met and apply to the court for permission to impose the tpim notice, except in cases of urgency.
A notice is subject to a review hearing at which the court reviews the Secretary of State's decisions and the conditions were and continue to be met. The act also provides a right of appeal in relation to specified decisions taken after its imposition. Having consulted as required by the Act, the Home Secretary has, due to the significant terrorist threat facing this country, decided to make the statutory instrument to provide for the continuation of Tpim powers for a further five years. The maximum period allowed in the legislation. The UK has one of the strongest counter-terrorism frameworks in the world, and the government is committed to ensuring it remains robust to tackle the threat from terrorism and to keep the public safe.
T PIMs are an essential component of this framework , and the continued necessary necessity has been endorsed through the statutory consultation the department has undertaken. Yeah.
Section 21 of the act states that the Secretary of State's tpim powers will expire at the end of five years from the date the act was passed, having been renewed twice in 2016 and 2021. These powers are due to expire at the end of the 30th of December 2026. With the continuing threat to the UK from terrorism. There can be no doubt that T pins remain a vital component in the UK's counter-terrorism toolkit. This position is supported by the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and the Director General of the Security Service.
The act provides the Secretary of State with powers to impose a tpim notice on an individual. If the conditions set out in section three of the act are assessed by the Secretary of State to have been met. These conditions include that she reasonably believes that the individual is or has been involved in terrorism related activity, and actually reasonably considers that it is necessary for purposes connected with protecting public members of the public from a risk of terrorism to impose such measures on the individual. In addition to the power to impose a T pin notice, the Secretary of State has powers to extend and vary a tpim notice that is in force, and to revive a tpim notice that has been revoked.
Since the introduction of the act in 2011, 33 t PIMs have been imposed as of the last published set of figures from June to August 2026 for t, PIMs were in force. T PIMs provide some of the most restrictive measures available in the democratic world. This is why they are used sparingly and only in exceptional cases involving individuals assessed to present the highest levels of terrorism related risk. Where prosecution, deportation or other disruptive measures could be insufficient to protect the public. There are also stringent, stringent safeguards, including that the Secretary, the. That the Secretary of State must be satisfied that all conditions are met and apply to the court for permission to impose the tpim notice, except in cases of urgency.
A notice is subject to a review hearing at which the court reviews the Secretary of State's decisions and the conditions were and continue to be met. The act also provides a right of appeal in relation to specified decisions taken after its imposition. Having consulted as required by the Act, the Home Secretary has, due to the significant terrorist threat facing this country, decided to make the statutory instrument to provide for the continuation of Tpim powers for a further five years. The maximum period allowed in the legislation. The UK has one of the strongest counter-terrorism frameworks in the world, and the government is committed to ensuring it remains robust to tackle the threat from terrorism and to keep the public safe.
T PIMs are an essential component of this framework , and the continued necessary necessity has been endorsed through the statutory consultation the department has undertaken. Yeah.
14:34
14:35
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
Thank you very much, Mr. Twigg. It's a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. Can I thank the Minister for her comments and for extending the powers set out in the 2011 act? Protecting our country from terrorism is a central responsibility of government. The public deserve to be safe from these heinous acts. Our commemorations this year, marking 25 years since the September 11th attacks, the deadliest terrorist attack for British citizens in our history should serve as a constant reminder of this solemn duty. Every attack, whether it's the Manchester Arena bombing, Lockerbie 77, Omagh or, of course, an array of other dreadful attacks should prompt us to pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives in the service of our country, and dedicated to preventing such atrocities from happening again.
14:35
14:49
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
Thank you very much. Stopping terrorism underpins everything we do in this place. As those who seek to alter our politics using violence fuelled by hateful ideology cannot be allowed to operate in our country. As the head of MI5 recently stated, the protection of democracy, its institutions, its representatives, its principles has never felt more vital. Of course, while we look back, the past year is a reminder of the threat posed by terrorism at this very moment. The decision to raise the threat level to severe followed intelligence assessments in appalling attacks against members of our Jewish communities.
I'll be cautious about referencing specific cases that have recently involved people being charged and hostile states. However, to use just one example, earlier this year, we saw two Islamist extremists receive life sentences and a third receive a prison sentence for their role in a terrorist plot intended to target the Jewish community in Greater Manchester, which was foiled through the outstanding work of our police forces. Therefore, against this background, I can say with certainty that we agree with the continuing use of this power. It's a serious power. As the minister described earlier, and one that must be used appropriately when the renewal period for TPMs was instituted, the late Conservative Minister James Brokenshire rightly noted the safeguards that this House continues to put in place when voting to renew these powers, which also recognise that, sadly, these measures were likely to continue to be necessary for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, those comments remain accurate today. These are serious, restrictive powers available to the government. Therefore, I understand that as a tool of last resort, they are rightly used sparingly. Again, as the minister outlined in her opening comments, according to the independent reviewer of terrorism Legislation's previous report, TPMs were applied only 33 times between the introduction of the act in 2011 and 2024, with only four active applications in the last quarter. Therefore, while I would not want to ask the minister any questions that require commenting on specific cases, does she believe that the government needs to take any different approach, given the increase in the terrorism threat level to our country?
Of course, as with all powers, there remain some questions, including those arising from previous comments by the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation that were noted by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. However, I think we must equally listen to the previous assessment of the independent reviewer alongside the views of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and the Director General of the security services, all of whom have agreed that Tim Powers should be renewed. Ultimately, when the renewal order for these powers was brought forward in 2021, the then opposition rightly supported the government's efforts. Our support , therefore, continues in the same vein, recognising that it is imperative for all of us to ensure that the resources and powers necessary to protect the public are in place.
Thank you, chair.
I'll be cautious about referencing specific cases that have recently involved people being charged and hostile states. However, to use just one example, earlier this year, we saw two Islamist extremists receive life sentences and a third receive a prison sentence for their role in a terrorist plot intended to target the Jewish community in Greater Manchester, which was foiled through the outstanding work of our police forces. Therefore, against this background, I can say with certainty that we agree with the continuing use of this power. It's a serious power. As the minister described earlier, and one that must be used appropriately when the renewal period for TPMs was instituted, the late Conservative Minister James Brokenshire rightly noted the safeguards that this House continues to put in place when voting to renew these powers, which also recognise that, sadly, these measures were likely to continue to be necessary for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, those comments remain accurate today. These are serious, restrictive powers available to the government. Therefore, I understand that as a tool of last resort, they are rightly used sparingly. Again, as the minister outlined in her opening comments, according to the independent reviewer of terrorism Legislation's previous report, TPMs were applied only 33 times between the introduction of the act in 2011 and 2024, with only four active applications in the last quarter. Therefore, while I would not want to ask the minister any questions that require commenting on specific cases, does she believe that the government needs to take any different approach, given the increase in the terrorism threat level to our country?
Of course, as with all powers, there remain some questions, including those arising from previous comments by the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation that were noted by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. However, I think we must equally listen to the previous assessment of the independent reviewer alongside the views of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and the Director General of the security services, all of whom have agreed that Tim Powers should be renewed. Ultimately, when the renewal order for these powers was brought forward in 2021, the then opposition rightly supported the government's efforts. Our support , therefore, continues in the same vein, recognising that it is imperative for all of us to ensure that the resources and powers necessary to protect the public are in place.
Thank you, chair.
14:53
Speaker 4
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Speaker 4
I thank you, Mr. Hogan. A pleasure to serve with you in the chair. The Liberal Democrats support this statutory instrument, which extends the Secretary of State's powers under the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act, for a further five years. The Liberal Democrats oppose the previous control orders regime introduced in 2005 because indefinite house arrest, restrictions on internet access and forced relocation without a criminal trial raised serious concerns about human rights and civil liberties. TPMs were introduced by the coalition government to provide a more proportionate approach, balancing national security with individual freedoms. Allowing them to expire would remove an important capability for managing individuals who present the highest levels of terrorism related risk.
As the minister has already highlighted, the extension is supported by the independent reviewer of Terrorism legislation and the Investigatory Powers Commission and the Director General of the Security Services. We therefore support the continuation of these powers.
As the minister has already highlighted, the extension is supported by the independent reviewer of Terrorism legislation and the Investigatory Powers Commission and the Director General of the Security Services. We therefore support the continuation of these powers.
14:54
14:54
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
Thank you, Mr. Twigg. Can I thank all members of the committee for being here today? We greatly appreciate the scrutiny provided on this important issue. Should the Secretary of State's tip powers expire, it would move a critical counter-terrorism capability used to manage individuals who present a significant national security risk. Subject to the agreement of this House and the other place, the order will come into force at the end of December, at the end of the 13th of December. The use of TPMs must be necessary and proportionate. The tool is used as a last resort in circumstances where prosecution or deportation are not, are not possible.
The operation of the Tpim act 2011 is subject to independent statutory review under section 20. The independent reviewer of Terrorism Legislation most recent report, The Terrorism Acts in 2024, was published on 29th of April 2026 and is publicly available on gov.uk. The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation is currently Jonathan Hall KC, and he is supportive of the continuation of the Tpim act 2011. His previous recommendations on TPMs included amending legislation to prohibit the Tpim subject from possessing unauthorised weapons, and this amendment amendment was made under the Crime and Policing Act 2026. The continuation of the Tpim act 2011 is supported by the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation.
As I've just said, and I urge all right, honourable and honourable members to to support this order to keep the public of the United Kingdom safe and retain the strength of our counterterrorism framework. I beg to move that the committee has considered the draft Terrorism, Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act, 2011, Continuation order 2026. Hear, hear.
The operation of the Tpim act 2011 is subject to independent statutory review under section 20. The independent reviewer of Terrorism Legislation most recent report, The Terrorism Acts in 2024, was published on 29th of April 2026 and is publicly available on gov.uk. The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation is currently Jonathan Hall KC, and he is supportive of the continuation of the Tpim act 2011. His previous recommendations on TPMs included amending legislation to prohibit the Tpim subject from possessing unauthorised weapons, and this amendment amendment was made under the Crime and Policing Act 2026. The continuation of the Tpim act 2011 is supported by the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation.
As I've just said, and I urge all right, honourable and honourable members to to support this order to keep the public of the United Kingdom safe and retain the strength of our counterterrorism framework. I beg to move that the committee has considered the draft Terrorism, Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act, 2011, Continuation order 2026. Hear, hear.