Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of polygraph testing as a tool for assessing and managing the risk posed by terrorist-connected offenders.

Following release from prison, terrorist and terrorist-connected offenders are subject to robust risk management arrangements and stringent licence conditions which can include electronic monitoring, residence in Approved Premises and, where eligible, polygraph testing.

The Government commissioned a process evaluation to review the use and operation of the polygraph licence condition on offenders convicted of a relevant terrorist or terrorist-connected offence. Published in October 2023, the review found that polygraph testing had become well-embedded in operational practice and was viewed by stakeholders as an effective risk management tool. The evaluation concluded that polygraph testing can provide probation practitioners with risk information they otherwise would not have had, contribute to assessments of compliance, and support further investigative and risk management activity.

The process evaluation can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/652d3ed0d86b1b000d3a4fdc/use-operation-counter-terrorism-polygraph-examination.pdf.