Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 21 Mawrth 1979.
Mr George Thomas
, Gorllewin Caerdydd
12:00,
21 Mawrth 1979
I wish to draw the attention of the House to the scope of the debate on the Shackleton report and the prevention of terrorism order. On Friday last, when dealing with points of order before the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland made his statement on the Bennett report, I suggested, off the cuff, that it might be possible in the course of today's debate to deal with specific allegations about the physical ill treatment of persons in custody.
On looking more closely at the documents before the House today, I find that the draft order and the Act that it continues deal with such matters as the proscription of the IRA, the power to make exclusion orders, the power to arrest suspected terrorists and control of their entry into the United Kingdom.
The Shackleton report is, therefore, a wide review of the working of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts and its emphasis is very different from that of the Bennett report.
While a wide debate covering any matter relating to the effectiveness or desirability of the powers that are being renewed is in order, any references to alleged ill treatment of suspected terrorists should be related to the documents being considered in today's debate.
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