Summary and Background
175.The purpose of the Government’s Prevent programme is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It deals with all kinds of international terrorist threats to the UK. The most significant of these threats is currently from Al Qa’ida-associated groups and from other terrorist organisations in Syria and Iraq. But terrorists associated with the extreme right also pose a continued threat to our safety and security.
176.Prevent activity in local areas relies on the co-operation of many organisations to be effective. Currently, such co-operation is not consistent across Great Britain. In legislating, the Government’s policy intention was to make delivery of such activity a legal requirement for specified authorities and improve the standard of work on the Prevent programme across Great Britain. This is particularly important in areas of Great Britain where terrorism is of the most concern but it is clear that all areas need, at the minimum, to ensure that they understand the local threat, and come to a judgement as to whether activities currently underway are sufficient to meet it.
177.The “Channel” programme in England and Wales is a multi-agency programme which provides tailored support to people who have been identified as at risk of being drawn into terrorism. Through the programme, agencies work together to assess the nature and the extent of this risk and, where necessary, provide an appropriate support package tailored to individual needs.
178.In Scotland the programme is known as “Prevent Professional Concerns”. It is the Government’s intention that Scottish bodies will be added to the duty in due course by regulations.
179.The purpose of Chapter 2 is to underpin existing Channel arrangements in England and Wales to secure effective co-operative from multi-agency partners so as to ensure the Channel arrangements are as effective as they can be in each local authority area. The sections require local authorities to establish a panel to discuss and, where appropriate, determine the provision of support for people who have been identified by the police as at risk of being drawn into terrorism. The panel must determine what support may be provided and in what circumstances. The sections also establish that panels and their partners must have regard to statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State. Schedule 7 sets out which bodies are required to cooperate with the panel to allow the panel to make informed decisions and carry out its functions.
