Agenda item

(To receive a report from Nicole Hilton (Assistant Director – Communities), which provides an update on Prevent activity in Lincolnshire during 2018/19)

Consideration was given to a report by the Assistant Director – Communities and the Prevent Manager, which provided an update on prevent activity in Lincolnshire during 2018/19.

Members were advised that at the time of the meeting, the current UK National Threat Level was SEVERE, meaning that an attack was highly likely. Islamic terrorism was the foremost threat to the UK, with extreme right-wing terrorism a growing threat. Members were informed extreme right-wing terrorism remained the biggest threat to Lincolnshire.

Members were informed that the government had recently announced the appointment of Lord Carlile as the Independent Reviewer of the Prevent programme, which would focus on the current national delivery of the Prevent programme and make recommendations for the future. The review was expected to report to Parliament by August 2020.

Officers had recognised the need to work more closely with commercial and private sector organisations to develop strategies and integrate relationships in the same way as public organisations.

Lincolnshire had put in place a robust framework for governance and leadership which included offering training and development to staff; engagement and diversity awareness workshops; women's engagement workshops and a community collaboration project.

Members were reassured that officers were working with a number of partners and engaging with the community on prevent. 

The Prevent Manager provided a presentation which provided an update on the Annual Present Prevent Review Report 2019.

Members were invited to ask questions, in which the following points were noted:

·         Officers agreed to share further information on the symbols used by far right extremists.

·         Officers advised that Members could help support the PREVENT agenda by encouraging members of the public to report any concerns and highlight the opportunities and services offered by the Council, including avenues to allow people to explore their thinking.

·         Members raised concerns about threats of danger to people by extreme animal rights activists and questioned what processes were in place to manage these threats.  Officers confirmed that they were able to intervene when threats of harm were posed as this was also criminal activity.

·         Members acknowledged that there could be many different interpretations and beliefs within religious groups.

·         Officers had felt that the PREVENT initially not been that well received within communities. However, the representation of PREVENT in communities nationally had now become more accepting and less cynical.

·         Officers highlighted that there continued to be a degree of dialogue between officers at Lincolnshire County Council and the Home Office about the level of information that was able to be shared with Members. Members were reassured that officers were carrying out the necessary requirements.

·         Members were informed that the amount of people showing concern within Lincolnshire was not increasing in a significant way. However, the increase in the amount of people who were gaining awareness of PREVENT meant that people were more informed and that there had been in increase in referrals.

·         Members were assured that the PREVENT Manager and the Assistant Director – Communities had undertaken a high level vetting process to ensure that they posed no security risk in handling the highly sensitive information that was part of the work of PREVENT.

·         Members raised concerns about the rise of anti-Semitism. Officers clarified that it was not illegal to hold extremist views, but only illegal to act or make threats upon them.

RESOLVED:

            That the report and comments made be noted.