Terrorism Bill

I am not in a position to speculate about the effect of the provision because it is a new measure. The police, however, will look at the issue carefully. We all accept that some material circulated internationally on the web could fall foul of clauses 1 and 2, so it is appropriate to introduce a mechanism to request that that information is removed quickly—as I said, the internet is a fast-moving medium. May I set out the detail of what the special branch officers will do, as it will give the House some reassurance? An officer in the anti-terrorism branch of the police service who carries out such duties is known as the single point of contact, and deals regularly with internet service providers and the communications industry. Our relationship with the communications industry does not simply focus on terrorism, and there are a range of issues on which the police must foster good relations. The accredited single point of contact officers will ensure efficiency and good practice in their management of relationships. They will use only practical and lawful requirements for the acquisition of communications data, and they will provide a guardian and gatekeeper function to minimise the burdens on internet providers so that a huge amount of bureaucracy is not created. At the same time, however, they will ensure that there is access to the information that could help us to tackle such problems.