The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee has published HC 231 – its Seventeenth Report on counter-terrorism. The report examines the UK’s efforts to address the threat of terrorism in the future.

The report notes that recent international events involving Boko Haram, Al-Shabab and Al-Qaeda show that the terrorist threat to the UK is as grave as at any point in the past 13 years. Interpol has the resources and experience to build a platform to counter the terrorist threat, and the UK must take the lead in bringing others to the table, according to the report.

HC 231 says the Government’s response must encompass dissuading and preventing those who wish to go to Syria to fight from going; helping those countries which are key to intercepting those attempting to enter Syria; and ensuring those who return do not present a danger to the UK.

There should be engagement with communities through peer-led schemes to prevent radicalisation, such as the Abdullah X programme, and the Committee recommends that the Government implement a programme, similar to Channel, for everyone returning to Britain where there is evidence that they have fought in Syria. However, there should be increased oversight of the vital power to withdraw passports; and the power to make individuals stateless ought not to be employed while the individual is in the UK.

The report recommends that responsibility for counter-terrorism policing should be moved from the Metropolitan Police to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Meanwhile, all police forces should ensure that local shopping centres have received British Council of Shopping Centres guidance detailing counter-terrorism protective security advice, and put in place and tested a Response Plan.

The Committee raises concern over the weak nature of the oversight system which has an impact upon the credibility of agencies’ accountability, and upon the credibility of Parliament itself. It says commissioners who scrutinise the intelligence services should be full time and properly resourced. The report recommends that Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) should be given a democratic mandate in the same way as other Select Committees.