National Security (State Threats) Bill

Debate between Jeremy Wright and Nusrat Ghani

2nd reading
Wednesday 17th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth and Southam) (Con)]

I was going to ask the Home Secretary later but, as she has raised the matter, perhaps I can ask her this now. On proposed new section 17C of the National Security Act and, indeed, in respect of other parts of the Bill, the knowledge of the person who may be committing an offence becomes important. Can the Home Secretary clarify—because the language in the Bill is potentially ambiguous—that the knowledge required of the person in question is that the body they are supporting or being remunerated by is a designated body? The language could be read simply to mean that the individual needs to know that the body they are supporting is a particular body, not necessarily that they know that that body has been designated. Can the Home Secretary be clear that the language refers to knowledge of designation, not simply knowledge of the particular institution or body that the individual is supporting or being remunerated by?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Before the Home Secretary responds, I remind the House that many people wish to contribute and it is just a four-hour debate.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Wright and Nusrat Ghani

Thursday 21st December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Ms Nusrat Ghani (Wealden) (Con)]

1. What plans the Government have to implement the agreement reached by the Council of Europe on prisoner voting in the UK.

[The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright)]

On behalf of the Law Officers may I take this early opportunity to wish all Members and staff of the House a very merry and, of course, lawful Christmas?

I very much welcome the decision by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to support our proposals on prisoner voting. We hope to complete implementation of those proposals by the end of next year, and we have agreed to provide an update on progress to the Council of Europe on 1 September.

[Ms Ghani]

I thank the Minister for his response, and I am pleased that an agreement has finally been reached to settle what has been a long-running dispute between ourselves and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Will my right hon. and learned Friend confirm to me and my constituents that it remains Government policy that convicted offenders detained in prison should not be allowed to vote, and that the recent agreement will not start us off on a slippery slope?

[The Attorney General]

Yes, and it is important that the Government comply with the judgment of a Court whose jurisdiction we have accepted. As my hon. Friend says, however, it is equally important that we stick to the clear view of this House and those beyond it that convicted prisoners should not vote from their cells, and they will not do so.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Wright and Nusrat Ghani

Thursday 26th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[The Attorney General]

Again, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is not sustainable to have a situation where a terrorist atrocity plotted by telephone can be understood and intercepted but one plotted over WhatsApp cannot. The measures in the draft Investigatory Powers Bill are entirely necessary, therefore, to avoid the kinds of atrocities he describes.

[Nusrat Ghani (Wealden) (Con)]

5. What steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to enable its prosecutors effectively to prosecute stalking and harassment cases.