Minister Ben Wallace has said he expects ‘natural variations’ in the delivery of local counter-terror strategies as Whitehall hands greater responsibility for Prevent to councils.

Responding to questions from The MJ about the revised Prevent strategy – one of four pillars of the Home Office’s counter-terror (CONTEST) programme – Mr Wallace praised local authorities’ often unheralded record in delivering the scheme and backed councils’ ability to co-ordinate Channel panel support packages for those vulnerable to radicalisation.