Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the abolition of control orders and Mohammed Emwazi's evasion of British security services and departure from the United Kingdom.

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Prosecution and conviction are always our preference for dealing with terrorists. Following the increase in the threat level last summer by the independent Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and discussions with operational partners, the Prime Minister announced in another place (Commons Hansard, 1 September 2014, co.23-27) the Government’s intention to introduce several new measures to disrupt attempted travel for terrorism-related purposes and dealing decisively with terrorism suspects already here.

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 received Royal Assent last month, providing the legislative basis for a suite of enhanced measures to tackle the threat posed to this country, including:

• providing the police with a power to seize a passport at the border temporarily, during which time they will be able to investigate the individual concerned.

• creating a Temporary Exclusion Order that can temporarily disrupt the return to the UK of a British citizen suspected of involvement in terrorist activity abroad.

• modifications to the existing TPIM regime, introducing the possibility for relocation and enhancing the safeguards around this power.

• improving law enforcement agencies’ ability to identify who is responsible for sending a communication on the internet or accessing an internet communications service.

• enhancing our border security for aviation, maritime and rail travel, with provisions relating to passenger data, ‘no fly’ lists, security and screening measures.

• creating a general duty on a range of organisations to prevent people being drawn into terrorism;

• putting Channel – the government’s voluntary programme for people vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism – on a statutory basis.

These measures are designed to enhance the powers already available to the police and Security Service to keep this country safe.