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| Carrying acid in public without 'good reason' to be banned, Home Secretary Amber Rudd announces | Carrying acid in public without 'good reason' to be banned, Home Secretary Amber Rudd announces |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Carrying acid in public without “good reason” will be outlawed, and sales to under-18s banned, following a series of horrific attacks. | |
| Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced the crackdown, as she also vowed to cut the number of knife attacks by preventing children buying knives online. | Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced the crackdown, as she also vowed to cut the number of knife attacks by preventing children buying knives online. |
| “We are going to stop people carrying acid in public if they don’t have a good reason,” she told the Conservative party conference. | “We are going to stop people carrying acid in public if they don’t have a good reason,” she told the Conservative party conference. |
| “Acid attacks are absolutely revolting. You have all seen the pictures of victims that never fully recover. Endless surgeries. Lives ruined. | “Acid attacks are absolutely revolting. You have all seen the pictures of victims that never fully recover. Endless surgeries. Lives ruined. |
| “So today, I am also announcing a new offence to prevent the sale of acids to under-18s.” | |
| Ms Rudd also vowed to “drastically limit the public sale of sulphuric acid”, because it is used to help produce so-called “mother of Satan” homemade explosives. | Ms Rudd also vowed to “drastically limit the public sale of sulphuric acid”, because it is used to help produce so-called “mother of Satan” homemade explosives. |
| “This is how we will help make our communities safer as crime changes,” the Home Secretary added. | “This is how we will help make our communities safer as crime changes,” the Home Secretary added. |
| Her conference speech included a raft of other policy announcements, including: | Her conference speech included a raft of other policy announcements, including: |
| Ms Rudd also told party activists in Manchester that security services had foiled seven terrorist plots this year. | Ms Rudd also told party activists in Manchester that security services had foiled seven terrorist plots this year. |
| And she warned of “an exponential surge in the volume of child sexual abuse referrals”, pledging a £600,000 investment in new software that trawls the web for images of child sexual abuse. | And she warned of “an exponential surge in the volume of child sexual abuse referrals”, pledging a £600,000 investment in new software that trawls the web for images of child sexual abuse. |
| The technology would get the images taken down “at an unprecedented rate”, she said, urging internet companies to “start using it as soon as they can”. | The technology would get the images taken down “at an unprecedented rate”, she said, urging internet companies to “start using it as soon as they can”. |
| “Our question to them will be 'if not, why not'. And I will demand very clear answers,” she threatened. | “Our question to them will be 'if not, why not'. And I will demand very clear answers,” she threatened. |
| Ms Rudd also called on Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft to “honour your moral obligations” and build on their progress in countering terrorism online. | Ms Rudd also called on Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft to “honour your moral obligations” and build on their progress in countering terrorism online. |
| “I call on you with urgency, to bring forward technology solutions to rid your platforms of this vile terrorist material that plays such a key role in radicalisation,” she said. | “I call on you with urgency, to bring forward technology solutions to rid your platforms of this vile terrorist material that plays such a key role in radicalisation,” she said. |
| The Home Secretary also challenged critics of the counter-terror Prevent programme to work with the Government, saying it was not “some Big Brother monolithic beast”. | The Home Secretary also challenged critics of the counter-terror Prevent programme to work with the Government, saying it was not “some Big Brother monolithic beast”. |
| On immigration curbs, Ms Rudd promised there would be no cliff edge for businesses when a new system is brought in after Brexit. | On immigration curbs, Ms Rudd promised there would be no cliff edge for businesses when a new system is brought in after Brexit. |
| “I'm committed to working with businesses, both large and small, to make sure we don't impose unnecessary burdens, or create damaging labour shortages,” she said. | “I'm committed to working with businesses, both large and small, to make sure we don't impose unnecessary burdens, or create damaging labour shortages,” she said. |
| But the pro-EU Open Britain group seized on her failure to repeat Theresa May’s much-ridiculed pledge to cut immigration to the “tens of thousands”. | But the pro-EU Open Britain group seized on her failure to repeat Theresa May’s much-ridiculed pledge to cut immigration to the “tens of thousands”. |
| Labour MP Stella Creasy, a supporter of the group, said: “The Government’s policy of cutting net migration to the tens of thousands is in tatters. | Labour MP Stella Creasy, a supporter of the group, said: “The Government’s policy of cutting net migration to the tens of thousands is in tatters. |
| “When the Home Secretary won’t even mention the target in her keynote conference speech, it’s clear the policy has lost all credibility and Cabinet support.” | “When the Home Secretary won’t even mention the target in her keynote conference speech, it’s clear the policy has lost all credibility and Cabinet support.” |