Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the threat to the personal safety of British citizens from ISIL.

The threat level from international terrorism for the UK, which is set independently by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, is currently assessed as SEVERE. This means that an attack is highly likely. The threat from terrorist groups such as ISIL is an important component of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s advice to British citizens travelling overseas.

The Government recognises that ISIL poses a significant threat to the UK and its interests. In September 2014 the Prime Minister announced a wide range of actions to combat ISIL, and in November 2014 he confirmed that an additional £130 million will be made available over the next two years to counter terrorism. The new Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, which came into force in February, provides further powers and capabilities to help tackle the threats emanating from Syria and Iraq.