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Terrorism laws: 'Time is right' for new police powers Terrorism laws: 'Time is right' for new police powers
(about 2 hours later)
The "time is right" for police, security and intelligence agencies to be given more powers to defend the UK, Home Secretary Theresa May has said. Police and security services will get new powers to defend the UK from the biggest terror threat before or since 9/11, the home secretary has said.
Unveiling a new counter-terrorism bill, Mrs May said the UK was in a security struggle "on many fronts". Unveiling a new counter-terrorism bill, Theresa May said the UK faced a security struggle "on many fronts".
Under the bill, UK-based insurance companies are to be banned from covering the cost of terrorist ransoms. Schools, universities and councils will be required to take steps to counter radicalisation.
Mrs May said the package, which she hopes to fast-track through Parliament, was "properly considered". Internet providers will have to retain Internet Protocol address data to identify individual users.
The home secretary is setting out parts of the Counter Terrorism and Security Bill - which will be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday - in a speech at a counter-terrorism event in London. Speaking at a counter-terrorism event in London, Mrs May told an audience "the time is right" for enhanced security measures.
By banning insurance companies from covering ransoms, the government hopes firms and families will be deterred from paying kidnappers. She spelled out the scale of the threat to the UK, specifying that 40 planned terror attacks had been foiled since the 7 July bombings in London in 2005.
Ministers maintain that paying ransoms encourages kidnapping, and it says Islamic State militants are taking hostages to fund their operations. The terror threat level in Britain was raised from "substantial" to "severe" earlier this year in response to conflicts in Iraq and Syria.
The ban is one of several measures proposed in response to the terror threat. The new legislation includes:
The UK's terror threat level was raised from "substantial" to "severe" earlier this year in response to conflicts in Iraq and Syria. But Mrs May warned that even the new powers in the bill would not fully address what she called a "capability gap" in the authorities' ability to monitor online communications.
She said: "Unfortunately, there is no agreement in the coalition - or for that matter with the opposition - about the need for the Communications Data Bill.
"We are going to have to wait until after the general election to address fully this increasingly urgent problem. "
She added that she remained "passionately convinced" police need access to more information about who is saying what online, in order to combat organised crime and networks of child abusers and terrorism.
AnalysisAnalysis
By Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondentBy Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent
For a decade, British security and intelligence agencies have tried to counter threats from individuals inspired by al-Qaeda's ideology.For a decade, British security and intelligence agencies have tried to counter threats from individuals inspired by al-Qaeda's ideology.
They're worried that the emergence of the so-called Islamic State has made that job far harder.They're worried that the emergence of the so-called Islamic State has made that job far harder.
Twice before - in the wake of 9/11 and 7/7 - they asked ministers for more powers.Twice before - in the wake of 9/11 and 7/7 - they asked ministers for more powers.
Each time there has been a difficult debate about the balance between those powers and personal liberties.Each time there has been a difficult debate about the balance between those powers and personal liberties.
This coming bill - which is aimed at disrupting extremist activity - will face the same questions.This coming bill - which is aimed at disrupting extremist activity - will face the same questions.
Against that background, a "Counter-terrorism Awareness Week" has something of a "Dig for Victory" spirit about it as the government and security chiefs seek public support ahead of potentially controversial legislation.Against that background, a "Counter-terrorism Awareness Week" has something of a "Dig for Victory" spirit about it as the government and security chiefs seek public support ahead of potentially controversial legislation.
But PR tactics aside, the appeal is very squarely focused on the brutal fact that the police don't believe they can do this job alone.But PR tactics aside, the appeal is very squarely focused on the brutal fact that the police don't believe they can do this job alone.
The Home Office said current laws criminalised terrorist financing but there had been an element of "uncertainty" about whether insurers were prohibited from paying claims made by companies and families who had met ransom demands. Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged that his party would co-operate with the government but added that it would seek to scrutinise Mrs May's proposals.
It said the Terrorism Act 2000 would now be amended to make it an explicit offence for insurers to reimburse such payments. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg praised the identification of IP address users as "sensible" but said that the home secretary "wants to go a lot further" by reviving what he called the "disproportionate" measures of "the snoopers' charter".
Other measures which will be part of the Counter Terrorism and Security Bill include: Human rights group Liberty condemned Mrs May's programme as a "chilling recipe for injustice and resentment, closing down the open society she seeks to promote".
The Liberal Democrats said it was "good news" that the Home Office had "finally got round" to producing plans to give police powers to find out who was using a phone or computer at a certain time. The Counter-terrorism and Security Bill will be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday.
Public help The speech coincides with the start of a week-long police initiative - Counter-terrorism Awareness Week - involving more than 3,000 officers, to remind the public how they can help.
Mrs May was speaking at the start of a week-long police initiative - Counter-terrorism Awareness Week - involving more than 3,000 officers, to remind the public how they can help fight terrorism. Speaking earlier, Britain's counter-terrorism chief warned that police officers alone "cannot combat" the threat of extremism.
More than 6,000 people at schools, universities, airports, shopping centres, cinemas and farms across the UK will be briefed by counter-terror officers.
Police officers and theatre groups will be speaking to students about the Prevent strategy, which provides practical help to people who may be drawn into terrorism.
Officers will also be providing counter-terrorism information to passengers and staff at railway stations.
Also speaking earlier, Britain's counter-terrorism chief has warned that police officers alone "cannot combat" the threat of extremism.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley - the Association of Chief Police Officers' national policing lead for counter-terrorism - said: "So far this year, we have disrupted several attack plots and made 271 arrests but the eyes and ears of law enforcement and other agencies alone cannot combat the threat."Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley - the Association of Chief Police Officers' national policing lead for counter-terrorism - said: "So far this year, we have disrupted several attack plots and made 271 arrests but the eyes and ears of law enforcement and other agencies alone cannot combat the threat."
The threat posed by violent extremists has "evolved" and is no longer a problem solely stemming from countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.The threat posed by violent extremists has "evolved" and is no longer a problem solely stemming from countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Now, they are home grown, in our communities, radicalised by images and messages they read on social media and prepared to kill for their cause," he said."Now, they are home grown, in our communities, radicalised by images and messages they read on social media and prepared to kill for their cause," he said.
He said "nearly half" of those from the UK joining Islamic State, a militant group which has taken control of large areas of Syria and Iraq, were "recently radicalised and weren't previously on our radar".He said "nearly half" of those from the UK joining Islamic State, a militant group which has taken control of large areas of Syria and Iraq, were "recently radicalised and weren't previously on our radar".
On Sunday, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police told the BBC that four or five terror plots had been stopped this year.On Sunday, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police told the BBC that four or five terror plots had been stopped this year.
Police have previously prevented on average one plot a year, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said.Police have previously prevented on average one plot a year, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said.
Will these measures stop young people from going abroad to fight for IS? Should we try to rehabilitate people returning to the UK? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are willing to talk to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.Will these measures stop young people from going abroad to fight for IS? Should we try to rehabilitate people returning to the UK? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are willing to talk to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.
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