Review of Prevent terms of reference announced

The terms of reference setting out the purpose and structure of the independent review of the government’s Prevent strategy have been published.

Following the appointment of Lord Carlile to lead the review, it will focus on the current delivery of Prevent and make recommendations for the future of the government’s strategy for safeguarding those vulnerable to radicalisation.

The government outlines this as including how effectively Prevent is delivered at local and national levels, how effectively the Prevent statutory duty is being implemented, how it might be improved to respond to justified criticisms and complaints, and how it interacts with other safeguarding strategies.

Lord Carlile said: “This review is an opportunity to take stock of what Prevent looks like in practice, what’s working and what isn’t, and identify what improvements need to be made to respond to how the threat might change in the future.

“Making these terms of reference public is an important step. It paves the way to my engagement with a wide range of those interested in the UK’s strategy for safeguarding those vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism, both critics and supporters alike, in an independent and open way. This will include a formal call for evidence in the coming weeks and a series of roadshows over the Autumn and Winter.”

Security Minister Brandon Lewis added: “Prevent is an absolutely vital part of our efforts to stop people from being drawn into or supporting terrorism. Since 2012, more than 1,700 people have been steered away from terrorism via the Channel programme, which provides confidential, tailored support for individuals at risk of radicalisation.

“We know that Prevent is successfully stopping people being drawn into terrorism, and this review will give us further evidence of what works well, while also suggesting areas for improvements. I look forward to seeing these recommendations.”

Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, said: “This is a strange review. You cannot possibly analyse something without looking at the evidence of how it has operated in the past. And the fact that this crucial information being ignored tells us the government already accepts Prevent has been an abject failure. The review will also be far from independent, as it relies on Home Office support, while the reviewer has previously stated his strong support for Prevent.”