Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that street preachers do not disseminate extremist material from proscribed terror groups.

The UK Government has a robust legislative framework which gives operational partners the powers they need to take appropriate action. Most recently the UK’s capacity for undertaking terrorist offences was extended by the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act which gained Royal Assent in February this year. The Act strengthened sections 12 (inviting support) of the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) by making it an offence to recklessly express support for a proscribed organisation. It also strengthened section 13 (wearing or displaying an item) of TACT to include publishing an image of an item.

There are also a number of other offences available to the police which may be relevant in disrupting individuals from disseminating material from proscribed terror groups, including: encouragement of terrorism, contrary to section 1 Terrorism Act 2006; and disseminating terrorist publications, contrary to section 2 Terrorism Act 2006

It would be for the police and CPS to investigate and charge any offences, as appropriate.