Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications of the covid-19 outbreak for the implementation of the Prevent strategy.
The Prevent programme has continued to be delivered effectively throughout Covid-19. Prevent referrals are continuing to be assessed and managed by Local Authorities and Police, and individuals are continuing to be supported through the Channel early intervention programme. Engagement and training are being delivered to Prevent practitioners and Prevent Duty statutory partners to ensure they remain well-equipped to identify and support those vulnerable to radicalisation.
The increased use of the internet as a result of Covid-19 has brought into sharp focus the need to remain vigilant of terrorists and their supporters seeking to exploit the situation. We are working closely with tech companies, international partners and civil society organisations to ensure preventing terrorist use of their platforms continues to be a priority and that tech companies are effectively responding quickly to any emerging threats.