National data-sharing scheme mooted

The police and MI5 have revealed plans to share more data with local public sector agencies in an attempt to combat terrorism.

Via a joint statement, MI5 director general Andrew Parker and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said that with several pilot schemes already up and running around the country, there is now a joint plan for these projects to lead to the establishment of a nationwide scheme. The approach mirrors how the authorities manage the risk posed by sexual or violent offenders.

The statement said: "A broader, multi-agency approach to managing the risk in communities posed by individuals linked to violent extremism can succeed where a more active, intrusive investigation might not. This means sharing intelligence with a wider range of partners than before, such as health and social services departments, to make use of local expertise."

This was once of three key themes emerged from the review of the 2017 attacks, the other two being how we use data and the need to step up national efforts against other types of violent ideology such as the far right.