Inquiry to examine terror attacks response

● Independent reviewer to establish whether lessons can be learned

Amber Rudd has announced a review of how the authorities dealt with recent terrorist attacks in the UK.

The Home Secretary said former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation David Anderson will lead the review, which will see if “lessons can be learned”.

Her announcement follows terrorist attacks in Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Rudd reiterated more must be done to tackle the extremists who seek to “radicalise and weaponise” young people in Britain.

She said: “Doing more also means asking difficult questions about what has gone wrong.

“In light of the terror attacks in London and Manchester, Britain’s counter-terror strategy will be reviewed to make sure the police and the security services have what they need to keep us safe.

“In addition to this, there will be a review of the handling of recent terror attacks to look at whether lessons can be learned about our approach.

“I’m pleased to announce that David Anderson, former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, will be overseeing it.”

Ms Rudd earlier said the four attacks had seen “136 innocent people dead and over 150 hospitalised”.

She called it: “A tragic loss of innocent life.”

She added that a “new phase of global terrorism” is beginning, noting: “We now believe we’re experiencing a new trend in the threat we face.”

MPS heard that 13 plots linked to or inspired by Islamist extremists were foiled between June 2013 and the Westminster Bridge attack in March this year.

Ms Rudd added that five plots have been prevented since March, with three Islamist plots succeeding – while the Finsbury Park attack has also taken place in which a van driver targeted an area busywithworshippersattending Ramadan night prayers at the nearby mosque.

She said: “We must do more to defeat ideologies of hatred by turning people’s minds away from violence and towards pluralistic British values.

“We must make sure that these ideologies are not able to flourish in the first place. We must do more to force tech companies to take down terror-related content from their platforms.

“And we must also do more to identify, challenge and stamp out extremism that lurks in our communities.”

Ms Rudd said that is why the government wants to set up a Commission for Countering Extremism.

Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve urged Ms Rudd to ask the Prime Minister to establish an Intelligence and Security Committee in Parliament as soon as possible.

Mr Grieve, who chaired the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament in the last parliament, said that because of the classified nature of some of the police work it was right that some details were not given to the House of Commons.