I certainly take my noble friend’s point. I believe that the panel can include anyone who the local authority thinks is suitable, but I will take that back just to confirm that what I said is correct. As I just said, as the panel consists of local experts from such service providers, who will be very much aware of the services available locally, we do not consider it necessary to include in the Bill a list of all the services that the panel should consider. However, the process and the other forms of support to be considered will be detailed in the statutory guidance.
Amendment 115C would expressly rule out a disclosure that would jeopardise a relationship of trust between a practising professional and an individual concerned who has been referred to the programme. We do not seek or wish for the provisions of the Bill to undermine any such relationship. It is made expressly clear that the co-operation duty does not entail disclosures which would contravene the Data Protection Act. However, the 1998 Act includes certain lawful grounds on which information—which is not restricted to electronic information—concerning a person vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism could be shared.
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Information sharing is essential to the success of the programme, so that the panel can identify and address the full range of an individual’s vulnerabilities and be aware of what support they are already receiving. It also enables the panel to make an informed decision on whether an individual should receive support and, if so, which partners need to take action to provide it.
Information shared should be based on necessity and proportionality, and it will be a decision for partners of a panel to share relevant information. Importantly, the individual’s consent should be sought in advance wherever possible, bearing in mind that this is a voluntary programme. I can assure my noble friend that the duty to co-operate does not encourage the sharing of information in such a way as to jeopardise relationships of trust.
Amendment 115AD would require the provision of guidance to local panels. The Bill provides for the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to support the panel in respect of its functions, and indeed guidance is already in place to support existing panels.
The amendment also seeks to provide the panel with a list of approved providers for deradicalisation programmes and to ensure that the providers are subject to monitoring. A list of approved providers is already made available to key members of the panel to determine who might be best placed to deliver a theological or ideological intervention. It is the role of the chair to use the expertise of the panel to identify the most appropriate support package for an individual. There are also safeguards and measures in place to monitor providers, which I hope will reassure noble Lords.