14 months after it was published, the Government has responded formally to my report of September 2015 on the operation of the Terrorism Acts.

The response is here.  It is a mixed bag: there are some encouraging noises, for example on publication of stop and search statistics, inadmissibility of answers given under compulsion in Schedule 7 examinations, and stopping the clock when s41 detainees are admitted to hospital.  Other long-standing recommendations (e.g. on refining the definition of terrorism) are rejected.

There is no comment on chapter 9 of my 2015 report, which dealt with extremism and plans to counter it, though it is noteworthy that the legislation promised since mid-2015 has not so far been tabled and that even the promised consultation has not yet been announced.

I expect to see, within a few weeks, the publication of my latest annual report on the operation of the Terrorism Acts.  That report will pick up on developments in 2015/16 and make a final set of recommendations, drawing on my observations and conclusions over the past six years.