Jack Rankin
Main Page: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)Department Debates - View all Jack Rankin's debates with the Cabinet Office
(1 day, 12 hours ago)
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Dan Jarvis
These issues are an urgent priority for the Government. My hon. Friend will know that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead Department, but we work closely with all Departments to ensure that our response is proportionate and in line with the nature of the threat. Although people’s minds have understandably been focused by what has occurred this morning, I can give him an absolute assurance that we are on these matters seven days a week and are working across Government to ensure that we keep the public safe.
Jack Rankin (Windsor) (Con)
These despicable attacks have been claimed by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a group assessed by analysts to be an Iranian proxy linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah. Emma Schubart of the Henry Jackson Society has warned that this reflects a pattern of co-ordinated attacks on Jews across Europe. Do the Government share that assessment, and if so, when will they finally proscribe the IRGC? The best time to do that was 10 years ago; the second best time is now.
Dan Jarvis
I know that the hon. Member will understand that, given that there is a live counter-terrorism police operation under way, it would not be appropriate for me to speculate about the linkage of this activity with other activities that have taken place on continental Europe. I hear his point about the proscription of the IRGC. I hope that he will understand that the Government commissioned Jonathan Hall to look at our terrorism legislation. Mr Hall has made a series of recommendations, the essence of which is that we need new legislation to be able to proscribe state-backed entities. The Government intend to bring forward that legislation as soon as we can.