The government has today (26 January 2021) announced that
William Shawcross has been appointed as the new Independent
Reviewer of Prevent.
William Shawcross was formerly the Chair of the Charity
Commission between 2012 and 2018 and became the Special
Representative on UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA
terrorism.
Prevent, which safeguards vulnerable people from being
drawn into terrorism, is one of the 4 strands of the
government’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST.
The independent review will consider the strategy and
delivery of the Prevent programme, and will make
recommendations for the future. The terms of reference will
be published shortly.
Lords Minister Baroness Williams said:
Prevent plays an essential role in stopping vulnerable
people being drawn into terrorism and I am grateful to
those who work tirelessly, including throughout the
pandemic, to turn lives around and keep our communities
safe.
It is important that this vital programme continues to
improve and I look forward to seeing Mr Shawcross’
recommendations in due course.
Independent Reviewer of Prevent William Shawcross said:
I am delighted to lead this important review to ensure
that Britain has the most effective strategy possible for
preventing people from becoming terrorists.
As Independent Reviewer, I look forward to assessing how
Prevent works, what impact it has, and what further can
be done to safeguard individuals from all forms of
terrorist influence. I look forward to hearing from a
wide range of voices, particularly those who have had
experience of Prevent in practice.
I intend to lead a robust and evidence-based examination
of the programme, to help ensure that Britain has a clear
and effective strategy to protect vulnerable people from
being drawn into terrorism.
In January 2019, the government announced the creation of
the Independent Review of Prevent as part of the
Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act. William
Shawcross’ appointment follows the previous Independent
Reviewer, Lord Carlile, stepping down in December 2019.
Prevent deals with all forms of terrorism, including
Islamist and far right terrorism, and does not focus on any
one community.
From 2012 to March 2020, almost 3,000 people have been
adopted to Prevent’s voluntary and confidential Channel
programme.
As part of Prevent, the Channel programme provides tailored
support for a person vulnerable to being drawn into
terrorism and works in a similar way to processes designed
to protect people from gang activity, drug or sexual abuse
– with individuals offered dedicated support and advice.
In the year ending 31 March 2020, there were 6,287
referrals to Prevent. This is an increase of 10% compared
to the previous year.
Of those referred to Prevent in 2019 to 2020, 1,487 (24%)
were referred for concerns related to Islamist
radicalisation and 1,387 (22%) were referred for concerns
related to far right radicalisation.
As one part of the CONTEST Strategy, Prevent, alongside
Pursue (stopping terrorist attacks happening in the UK and
overseas), Protect (strengthening protection against a
terrorist attack in the UK or overseas) and Prepare
(mitigating the impact of a terrorist incident if it
occurs) comprise the 4 strands of the strategy.
