Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Prevent programme.

The Independent Review of Prevent, published on 8 February 2023, was conducted by Sir William Shawcross. 33 of the 34 recommendations have now been implemented. This has included strengthening guidance and training, regionalising Prevent delivery, and improving case management. This includes introducing a new risk assessment tool for all referrals that will be evaluated in 2025.

The Home Office has commissioned an independent evaluation of Channel that will assess whether Channel is effective at reducing individuals’ susceptibility to radicalisation. It will also explore how well Channel interventions are being delivered and how the programme could be improved. The evaluation is expected to report findings in 2025.

In addition, the Desistance and Disengagement Programme, which helps to manage the risk of individuals who have already been involved in terrorism or terrorism related activity, has been independently evaluated. Most recommendations from that evaluation have been implemented.

The Prevent Standards and Compliance Unit, which sits within the Commission for Countering Extremism, fulfils a crucial oversight function of Prevent, providing a route for the public and Prevent duty partners to register complaints or concerns, and ensuring Prevent is being delivered properly within the direction set by ministers.