Abu Qatada Debate

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Department: Home Office

Abu Qatada

David Winnick Excerpts
Tuesday 7th February 2012

(12 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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Of course we are always in the business of considering what measures we can take to ensure that we can strengthen our ability to deal with potential terrorists. As for the issue of intercept evidence, we are still pursuing it, the advisory council of Privy Counsellors is considering it again, and it has been considered by successive Governments. It is a complex issue, but that work continues while we try to establish whether there is a way in which it would be possible to introduce intercept as evidence.

David Winnick Portrait Mr David Winnick (Walsall North) (Lab)
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This person is clearly motivated by murderous hatred—there is no doubt about that—but can the Home Secretary answer this question? He has been here for some 16 or 17 years. If there is evidence that he was inciting murder, why was he not charged? Would that not have been the most appropriate way of dealing with this fanatic?

Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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In all cases relating to terrorists, potential terrorists or those who are inciting others, our preference is always to be able to prosecute, and for those people to be behind bars. That is why all cases are looked at very carefully, and, obviously, the appropriate judgments are made.