'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - Women to voice their views to Metropolitan Police Authority

63/06
4 October 2006

‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ is the MPA's programme of community engagement to counter terrorism. The fourth hearing in the programme will be held on Thursday 5 October 2006, when invited representatives from women’s groups will be able to express their opinions and recount their experiences of terrorism and counter-terrorism to the MPA.

Cindy Butts, member of the MPA panel and deputy chair of the MPA, said:

“At the MPA we are conscious that women have not been sufficiently involved in discussions about these isses. Public debate about terrorism and how to tackle it has been dominated by men. The MPA wants to change this.

“Women have told us that they don’t feel their views have been heard and that they have an important contribution to make. We need to recognise what they are telling us and integrate their ideas and opinions into the way we tackle terrorism.

“Therefore we have invited women from across London to express their opinions and tell us first-hand about their experiences of terrorism and counter-terrorism.”

Six hearings have been organised by the MPA to give specifically invited London communities the opportunity to express their views about counter-terrorism policing to a panel of MPA members. The first hearing on Thursday 29 June 2006 enabled young Londoners to put their views to the MPA’s guest, the Commissioner of the Met, Sir Ian Blair. On July 6 at the second hearing representatives from business, tourism and local government expressed their views to the MPA’s guest Assistant Commissioner Steve House. Representatives from faith groups attended the third hearing on 7 September to recount their experiences to Deputy Assistant Rose Fitzpatrick.

Notes to editors

1. Press are invited to attend but we request no filming or audio recording

2. Toby Harris, MPA member with special responsibility for counter-terrorism, Cindy Butts and Reshard Auladin, both deputy chairs of the MPA, form the MPA panel that hears evidence presented by invited communities.

3. There will also be external guest panellists at each hearing. For the hearing on 5 October the guest panellist will be Professor Tariq Ramadan of Oxford University.

4. A senior MPS officer will be invited to each session to provide an initial response to the communities’ issues and then take questions from the group. The hearing on 5 October will be attended by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Rose Fitzpatrick.

5. The programme for the six hearings is:

• Thursday 29 June - young people
• Thursday 6 July – councillors, business and tourism representatives
• Thursday 7 September - faith groups
• Thursday 5 October - women
• Thursday 16 November - Asian men
• Thursday 7 December - police and government

6. Following on from these hearings the work will include:

• six confidential focus groups with students in London universities and colleges, to discuss extremist recruitment and radicalisation on campus
• thirty-two local consultations - one in every London borough
• analysis of qualitative data received through the MPA website
• a publication, featuring contributions from practitioners, commentators and community representatives

7. Attendance at this programme of events is by invitation only.

8. Further information about the MPA’s programme of events can be found at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/counterterrorism/default.htm

9. Confidential anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321

10. Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111

11. Communities Together helpline: 0800 028 2390

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

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