The detail is even more ridiculous
The full document is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/430149/QS_lobby_pack_FINAL_NEW_2.pdf
From the speech:
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Measures will also be brought forward to promote social cohesion and protect people by tackling extremism [Extremism Bill]. New legislation will modernise the law on communications data [Investigatory Powers Bill], improve the law on policing and criminal justice [Policing and Criminal Justice Bill], and ban the new generation of psychoactive drugs [Psychoactive Substance Bill]
And the detail:
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Extremism Bill
“Measures will also be brought forward to promote social cohesion and protect people by tackling extremism”
The purpose of the Bill is to:
- Unite our country and keep you and your family safe by tackling all forms of extremism
- Combat groups and individuals who reject our values and promote messages of hate
The main benefits of the Bill would be:
- To strengthen government and law enforcement powers to stop extremists promoting views and behaviour that undermine British values
- To protect the public from the serious harm extremists intend to cause to individuals, communities and the values we live by
- To address the gap in government and law enforcement’s powers to deal with extremism that falls below the thresholds in counter-terrorism legislation
The main elements of the Bill are:
As part of a comprehensive new strategy to defeat all forms of extremism, we will legislate to strengthen our powers in a number of areas:
- Banning Orders: a new power for the Home Secretary to ban extremist groups
- Extremism Disruption Orders: a new power for law enforcement to stop individuals engaging in extremist behaviour
- Closure Orders: a new power for law enforcement and local authorities to close down premises used to support extremism
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We will also be taking forward other commitments to combat extremism:
- Broadcasting: strengthening Ofcom’s roles so that tough measures can be taken against channels that broadcast extremist content
- Employment checks: enabling employers to check whether an individual is an extremist and bar them from working with children
Related documents:
Counter-extremism strategy – to be published shortly
Home Secretary’s speech ‘A stronger Britain built on our values’:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/a-stronger-britain-built-on-our-values
Existing legislation in this area is:
Civil powers to disrupt terrorist or criminal activity similar to Banning Orders, Extremism Disruption Orders and Closure Orders include those in:
- Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
- Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011
- Terrorism Act 2000
Ofcom’s current powers are set out in a number of measures, including:
- Communications Act 2003
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Investigatory Powers Bill
“New legislation will modernise the law on communications data”
The purpose of this legislation is to:
- Provide the police and intelligence agencies with the tools to keep you and your family safe
- Address ongoing capability gaps that are severely degrading the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies ability to combat terrorism and other serious crime
- Maintain the ability of our intelligence agencies and law enforcement to target the online communications of terrorists, paedophiles and other serious criminals
- Modernise our law in these areas and ensure it is fit for purpose
- Provide for appropriate oversight and safeguard arrangements
The main benefits of these clauses would be:
- Better equipping law enforcement and intelligence agencies to meet their key operational requirements, and addressing the gap in these agencies’ ability to build intelligence and evidence where subjects of interest, suspects and vulnerable people have communicated online
- Maintain the ability of our intelligence agencies to target the online communications of terrorists, and other relevant capabilities
- Provide for appropriate oversight arrangements and safeguards
- This will respond to issues raised in the independent review by the Independent Reviewer of Counter-Terrorism legislation, which is due to be published shortly
The main elements of the clauses are:
- The legislation covers all investigatory powers including communications data, where the Government has long maintained that the gap in capabilities are putting lives at risk
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- The legislation will enable the continuation of the targeting of terrorist communications and other capabilities
Related documents:
Intelligence and Security Committee Report on the Draft Communications Data Bill:
http://isc.independent.gov.uk/committee-reports/special-reports
Intelligence and Security Committee Privacy and Security Inquiry Report:
http://isc.independent.gov.uk/news-archive
Existing legislation in this area is:
- Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
- Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014
- Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
- Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001
Devolution:
National security and interception powers are a matter reserved to the UK Parliament