Terrorism Bill

My Lords, I did not intend to take part in this debate today but, after listening to it, I thought that I would give noble Lords a practical example of what my noble friend is putting forward. Three weeks ago in Belfast, the PSNI had information that an event was going to happen in one of the paramilitary bars. The police surrounded the bar—they got great publicity out of that. They found a bunch of men dressed up with masks and dark sunglasses and carrying plastic guns. The men, who were members of the UDA, were practising for an event to take place the next night. They were arrested and taken away. Whether they will ever be prosecuted is debatable, but that one act gave so much confidence back to the community that the police were prepared to tackle that kind of thing that it was of immeasurable benefit. So many incidents of that kind have happened in Northern Ireland over the past 30 years and people have asked, ““Where were the police?”” My noble friend is trying to achieve the same thing. The measure might not result in a prosecution—we all know that lawyers can talk and do what they like—but, at the end of the day, it would give back confidence to communities who are being held hostage by these people.