Lecturers lobby against Terrorism Bill
The lecturers' union, the Association of University Teachers, has this week been lobbying against the government's proposed new anti-terror legislation.
The union has written to around 100 MPs, and is expected to do the same for members of the House of Lords, to express its concerns over certain clauses in the Bill, which the AUT believes will have a negative impact on its members and university campuses in general.
The action being taken is centred on 3 fundamental concerns the union has with the Bill:
- The sections centring on the encouragement and glorification of terrorism could affect what teaching staff will be able to say to students on particularly sensitive historical, political or ethical subjects and issues.
- The proposals to ban the dissemination of terrorist publications could affect how lecturers and university libraries can stock and use primary and secondary source materials.
- Parts of the bill referring to training for terrorism could affect university staff responsible for training students in the use of hazardous and noxious substances.
Jonathan Whitehead, the head of public affairs at the AUT said: "Underlying much of our concern is a growing fear about the possible impact of the Bill on community and race relations on campus through the creation of a culture of suspicion."
The union is now circulating details of the content of the Bill and the AUT's position to its members in an effort to put pressure on MPs to change those parts causing the union concern.
This week will see the Bill scrutinised in its Committee stage in the Commons, before having its third reading. After that, it must pass all its stages in the House of Lords before it becomes law. Most commentators and pundits are agreed that passing the Bill will prove far more difficult for the Government in the Lords.
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