Speeches by Murray.

“Thank you both for coming in today. It is good to hear about an integrated plan, a full-spectrum approach and a board, and it is good to hear that people across Government are talking to each other about this, although I imagine that was already happening, but what about the Border Security Command is actually new? Wha…”

“I know I speak for my whole constituency when I welcome this long-overdue ceasefire. May I put on the record my thanks to the Prime Minister and Foreign Office Ministers for the many opportunities to put my constituents’ views to them? As we turn to the ceasefire, our thoughts turn to rebuilding, but that is not just p…”

“Illegal immigration is, by definition, an international crime. That is why it is so important that we work with our allies, such as France, in targeting this issue, which affects our communities. I welcome the Government’s “one in, one out” deal with France, which has the potential to be the most game-changing step in …”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests for the support that my office receives from the Refugee, Asylum and Migration Policy Project. I want to make a couple of points today, but I also want to pick up on the point that al…”

“One of the most shocking indictments in Baroness Casey’s evidence to the Home Affairs Committee was the long list of inquiries and speeches, and the shocking lack of action that had followed, so I welcome the announcement that the Minister has made about action to tackle these issues. Can she update us on the establish…”

“A couple of years ago, I was working in local government in Scotland, trying to deal with the impact of asylum hotels. At that time, the shadow Home Secretary was a Minister in the Home Office, and he opened hotel after hotel, without even telling councils that that was happening, so his amnesia today is staggering. We…”

“I draw the attention of the House to my declaration of interests. People who come to this country legally and work hard are welcome, but the Minister is right to say that those who do not are not. We know that one of the big pull factors is the ability to work illegally in the UK. Can the Minister set out what the Gove…”

“Does my hon. Friend share my horror that global plastic production will double by 2050? He said that his constituents in Edinburgh South West feel strongly about this; I can assure him that people across Edinburgh do. Will he join me in calling for a global plastics treaty that the Government should take forward as a p…”

“You have both alluded to this a little, but one of the developing trends is of extremist people with no really fixed ideology or with a mixed or unclear ideology. It is something the Home Secretary has referred to in every statement she has given on extremism since taking office. Especially given that the average age o…”

“Okay, that is really interesting; so you are saying there has been this big shift, that mixed and unclear ideologies are part of it, and that there are negative consequences of that. It sounds like you are saying you disapprove of that shift?”

“Dr Whittaker, I have a follow-up on your point about mission creep. Is there any evidence that labelling as extremist organisations or groups that are on the border of maybe only following some definitions of extremism changes the behaviour in those groups? Does calling them extremist drive people to become more extrem…”

“Thanks to you both for coming. Can I ask a very direct question at the beginning, which is: what is the difference between your two roles, and how do you work together or work separately?”

“I want to ask about evaluating the effectiveness of Prevent, because obviously one of the huge challenges in a preventative system is that you cannot measure what does not happen; you only see when it goes badly wrong. What are your views on that? You have already mentioned that Prevent gets a kicking quite a lot of th…”

“Mr Simcox, how much of your work is looking at the challenge of new forms of extremism? You said that you focus more on Prevent now than in previous incarnations; do you think new forms of extremism are driving that?”

“I have a follow-up question looking into conspiracy theories specifically. Conspiracy theories are nothing new. We had people believing that Elvis was still alive way before the internet. Is there something categorically different about conspiracy theories in the age of the internet, or is it just that we are a bit mor…”

“One of the issues is that very few Prevent referrals lead to a Channel panel, as we have touched on. How concerning is that? Could it actually be a sign that Prevent is working because lots of people are referring in and they are being addressed properly, or is it a sign of dysfunction?”

“Thank you. I want to go back to Prevent for a second. There is always some discussion about whether Prevent needs to be reformed or whether it needs to be replaced in some way. I want to test two hypothetical arguments on you. One value of Prevent is that it is now quite embedded. Teachers know about it and those under…”

“You have definitely whetted our appetite to read your report.”

“Mr Simcox, do you have a view on that?”

“Thank you, another plug well received. A final question from me, repeating the question I put to the previous panel. For all its flaws, part of the value of Prevent is it has been in place for a long time, so teachers, social workers, and those under the duty have at least a vague idea of what it is. Do you see that as…”