Oral Answers to Questions

Julie Elliott Excerpts

Monday 27th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[James Brokenshire]

As my hon. Friend will know, we are actively considering how to strike the right balance on human rights. The Minister for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims and the Secretary of State for Justice are looking at that issue closely to ensure that the rights and freedoms of individuals are upheld properly in this country.

[Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central) (Lab)]

9. What the cost has been of providing surveillance for suspects subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures to date.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (James Brokenshire)]

Additional funding of tens of millions of pounds has been made available to the police and the Security Service each year for surveillance, technical capabilities and other measures to mitigate the overall risk as part of the TPIMs package.

[Julie Elliott]

What can the Minister say to reassure my constituents in Sunderland about the increased risk that they are at after the release in the past week of six very dangerous people on TPIMs, bearing it in mind that two people have previously disappeared without trace?

[James Brokenshire]

It is worth highlighting that under the previous Government’s control order regime, seven individuals disappeared in six years. We have increased spending on the security and intelligence agencies and protected counter-terrorism policing budgets in the 2015-16 spending round to ensure that the capabilities are maintained. That includes resources for surveillance and the management of TPIMs subjects. Upholding national security remains the priority of this Government.