Is Prevent delivery at a local level effective in tackling new forms of extremism? – Home Affairs Committee investigates
The Home Affairs Committee continues its inquiry into combatting new forms of extremism on Tuesday 25 November with an evidence session focussing on how extremism is identified and counteracted at a local level.
Meeting details
The Prevent duty requires local authorities, education institutions and health providers to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism”. Earlier this year, the Government outlined a number of steps to improve how frontline professionals spot signs of radicalisation, including enhanced training and new guidance to clarify Prevent thresholds. A new Independent Prevent Commissioner was also appointed to provide better oversight of the delivery of Prevent.
Education institutions are the highest source of Prevent referrals at 36%. Local government also plays a key role in countering extremism, through delivering services where radicalisation may be detected and working with other agencies at a local level to support the delivery of Prevent obligations.
In this session the Home Affairs Committee will examine if current local mechanisms are sufficiently effective to detect and respond to ever-evolving forms of extremism. It will investigate if the Prevent duty is adequate for guiding local authority interventions and providing pathways away from extremism. It will also examine what impact new approaches to extremism, such as Youth Diversion Orders, might have in tackling behaviours that fall outside Prevent thresholds.