Reading Terrorist Attack

Maria Eagle Excerpts

Monday 22nd June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Priti Patel]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Work is taking place on the Prevent review and more details will be forthcoming shortly. The fact of the matter is that we need to work harder at a community level to avoid any stigmatisation and to encourage people to engage and participate. We must also understand the types of techniques and tactics that make a difference. That is something I will be very happy to discuss further with him.

[Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood) (Lab)]

The person who has been arrested on suspicion of committing these offences is reported to have been of interest to the security services as a potential terrorist sympathiser and was released from prison well before the end of his sentence, a mere 16 days before this murderous rampage took place. There have been newspaper reports about his engaging in alarming behaviour ahead of the incident. Given those serious concerns, will the Home Secretary confirm that he was being supervised when he left prison under multi-agency arrangements for public protection, as would seem appropriate? If so, at what level was that?

[Priti Patel]

As I have said, there is an investigation under way in relation to this incident and it would be thoroughly inappropriate for me to comment any further.