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National Security Bill becomes law
Scheme (FIRS), which criminalises those acting covertly for states which pose the greatest threat to national security.
Security minister Tom Tugendhat said: “We are facing growing threats from foreign states. Over the past years we’ve seen attempts to harm our people, damage our economy and undermine our democracy.
“Iran’s recent attempts to kidnap or kill people living in the UK are beyond contempt, and a fundamental violation of our sovereignty.
After being passed by both Houses of Parliament and securing Royal Assent, the National Security Bill became law on 11 July.
The government claims: “This new act brings together vital new measures to protect the British public, modernise counter-espionage laws and address the evolving threat to our national security.
“With this new legislation, the UK is now a harder target for those states who seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, which include
Surveillance
espionage, foreign interference (including in our political system), sabotage, and acts that endanger life, such as assassination.
“The new powers will help ensure that the UK remains the hardest operating environment for malign activity undertaken by foreign actors.”
For the first time, the National Security Act includes an offence of foreign interference.
The act also introduces a new Foreign Influence Registration
“The National Security Act provides the tools to expose this type of activity and hold those responsible to account.”
Ken McCallum, director general of MI5, said: “We face state adversaries who operate at scale and who are not squeamish about the tactics they deploy to target people and businesses in the UK.
“The National Security Act is a game changing update to our powers. We now have a modern set of laws to tackle today’s threats.”
Surveillance camera commissioner calls for review
The biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner Professor Fraser Sampson has written to paymaster general and minister for the cabinet office Jeremy Quin outlining identified security and ethical issues in the use of surveillance camera technology, and Artificial Intelligence in the same sphere.
The letter lays out the collective impact on public trust and confidence in the legitimate use of new surveillance technology.
Professor Sampson pointed out there has been a call for a review of public space surveillance. This follows a recent Panorama episode named ‘Is China watching you?’.
The commissioner recently met with the policing minister and separately with the Cabinet Office and Vincent Devine, the government chief security officer and pushed the government to address the presence of these systems on its estate.
Professor Sampson said: “Having recently conducted a survey of the police and local authorities’ use of similar technology, I too am of the view that a review is needed, if only to answer the question being asked of us on a daily basis: “just how many of these cameras are pointed at us?”. Having had the benefit of a meeting to discuss these issues in the context of their impact on critical national infrastructure and national security with the Security Minister last year,
I now believe the need for a review is supported by the evidenced risks, and the Policing Minister agreed that I would seek an early meeting with you to discuss how such a review might be taken forward.”
Six men found guilty of murder in Brussels bombing trial Funding announced for protection for places of worship
Atar is believed to have planned the Paris attack from Syria and is thought to have died in Syria. He was tried in absentia. Krayem was seen with the bomber who attacked the metro station. Krayem also had a backpack full of explosives, but did not detonate them.
Six men have been found guilty of terrorist murder for their part in the 2016 Brussels bombings which killed 32 people and injured more than 300 at the airport and a metro station. Two others have been found guilty of taking part in terrorist activities, while two others have been acquitted of all charges.
Salah Abdeslam was one of those found guilty. Abdeslam is already serving a life sentence in France for his role in the 2015 Paris attacks. After fleeing France, he was arrested in Belgium four days before the Brussels attacks. He has now been found guilty of murder and attempted murder.
Mohamed Abrini was also found guilty for his role in the Brussels attack, he had also already been found guilty of taking part in the Paris attack. Abrini was identified on CCTV fleeing Zaventem airport in Brussels when his explosives did not go off. Abrini admitted to his role in the attacks, confessing that he prepared the explosives for the bombings.
Oussama Atar, Osama Krayem, Ali El Haddad Asufi and Bilal El Makhoukhi were also found guilty of terrorist murder.
HVM
A Tunisian man and a Rwandan man, were cleared of murder but were convicted of taking part in terrorist activities, as were the other six on trial. Brothers Smail and Ibrahim Farisi, were cleared of all charges.
On 22 March 2016, two bombs went off at Zaventem airport just before 8am. 16 people were killed. Around an hour later, another bomb went off at Maelbeek metro station in Brussels’ European quarter, where another 16 people were killed. The court also ruled that three people who died in the years following the attack should be considered victims. These include a 23-year-old who suffered from psychological illness and died by euthanasia, and a man who died by suicide after suffering from post-traumatic stress. Another man died of cancer in 2017 after being forced to halt treatment because of the wounds caused by the metro bombing. The trial took place in a court built especially for the trial in the former NATO headquarters on the outskirts of Brussels.
The defendants are likely to be sentenced in September. Five are already in prison for their roles in the Paris attacks.
UK security minister, Tom Tugendhat, has announced £28 million in funding to protect places of worship. The funding is available through two schemes and is part of the government's commitment to protect faith communities in England and Wales from the threat of hate crime and terror attacks.
The money can be spent on physical protective security, such as CCTV, intruder alarms and secure fencing for mosques, churches, temples, gurdwaras and other places of worship. Mosques will also be able to access a new security guarding scheme later in the year.
Security minister, Tom Tugendhat said: "Freedom of religious belief and the freedom to worship are fundamental. "We will defend against any form of hatred targeting our communities, and are committed to protecting all faiths.
"I encourage any place of worship that feels they would need assistance to apply under the schemes."
Emergency bandage kits to be provided on HVM deployments
Alex Chivers, founder of RAPAID said: “Having emergency bandages available that can be used by anyone without training could mean the difference between life and death for casualties.
reducing the consequences. That’s exactly what’s happening with this partnership between Crowdguard and RAPAID, and I encourage others to follow this lead with collaboration and joined-up thinking.”
Crowdguard, a specialist in counter terrorism risk assessment and hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM), has partnered with RAPAID, the emergency bandages charity and committed to providing emergency bandage kits as part of every temporary HVM deployment. The kits include military-grade emergency bandages, surgical gloves, window stickers and a full set of laminated instructions, and will be available at every Crowdguard temporary HVM deployment at no additional cost to customers.
“We know that people on the scene during the Manchester Arena attack did everything they could to help the injured, but they just didn’t have the kit on hand to stop the bleeding until the emergency services arrived.”
RAPAID emergency bandages kits can already be found in black cabs in five UK cities, along with at prominent visitor attractions, such as the British Museum.
Figen Murray MBE, who has campaigned for Martyn’s Law, following the death of her son Martyn in the Manchester Arena attack comments: “So much of what we want to achieve with Martyn’s Law is an approach to risk mitigation that joins the dots between preventing terror attacks and
Deborah Ainscough, founder and director of Crowdguard said: “Our mission is to protect people and places from vehicle impacts with expert specification and installation of HVM equipment, aligned to a vulnerability, threat and risk assessment. But we cannot protect people from all risks, and we wanted to make sure that, if the worst happens - whether it’s a vehicle attack, a knife attack, an accident or any other type of incident causing heavy bleeding – we have the equipment on site to reduce the consequences and save lives.”
