Police at UK ports will be able to stop, question, search and
detain individuals to determine whether they are a spy as part of
a range of measures being put before Parliament today.
The new Schedule 3 powers were introduced as part of the
Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, in response to
the poisoning of five people in Salisbury using a military-grade
nerve agent. Dawn Sturgess, one of the victims, tragically later
died.
The government has today laid the code of practice in relation to
the use of Schedule 3 powers which, subject to approval by
Parliament, will see the powers in the 2019 Act come into force.
The government has also today updated its code of practice on the
use of existing Schedule 7 powers, which give the police the
power to stop and detain people at ports in relation to terrorist
activity.
Security Minister said:
Schedule 7 is already a vital tool for police to protect the UK
from terrorist threats, and I am pleased that subject to
Parliament’s approval police will be able to use Schedule 3 to
protect us from hostile state actors.
I am grateful to those who engaged with the consultation
process to help ensure the codes of practice around the use of
both Schedule 3 and 7 strike the right balance between
protecting the rights of those who could be stopped and keeping
the public safe.
The UK government is certain that the two suspects charged for
the Salisbury nerve agent attack are Russian Military
Intelligence officers and that the attack was almost certainly
approved at a senior level of the Russian state.
The Schedule 3 powers will help to protect the UK from the very
real and serious threat from states who seek to undermine and
destabilise this country to pursue their own agendas.
Both codes of practice set out the processes governing how these
important powers will be used and overseen. They include robust
safeguards and provide special protections for confidential
material and journalistic sources.
The government also today published proposed revisions to
guidance for police and relevant law enforcement authorities
about the making or renewing of a national security determination
for the retention and use of biometric material for national
security purposes.
Publication of the new and updated codes of practice and guidance
follows consultation with public authorities, media organisations
and the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.
You can read a copy of both revised draft codes of practice and
the full consultation response that is placed in the libraries
of both Houses.
A fact
sheet explaining the codes of practice is also available
on GOV.UK.
