My Lords, perhaps I may say a couple of things very briefly. I have a feeling that this will be the end of the matter in this House. But something still worries me, on which I have not been properly reassured. Although the Attorney-General will have to give his fiat before any prosecution, I am worried that complaints will be made to the police—perhaps on matters that other people will consider trivial—and the police will immediately start an investigation. Before we know where we are people will be taken to the police station and interviewed, as many have been under previous legislation. I will not go into all the cases that have appeared in the newspapers, but the author Lynette Burrows said that she did not believe that male homosexuals should foster children, and then had the police on the telephone to her. That is what worries me. Can the noble Baroness give the assurance that the police will be given guidelines, so that this is treated as a very serious matter and not a triviality?
Terrorism Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Lord Stoddart of Swindon
(Independent Labour)
in the House of Lords on Wednesday, 22 March 2006.
It occurred during Debate on bills on Terrorism Bill.
Type
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Reference
680 c249-50 
Session
2005-06
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