Insurance companies face ban on paying terror ransoms

British insurance companies will be banned from paying out terrorism ransoms, under a range of counter-terrorism proposals to be announced today.

Home Secretary Theresa May, who has warned that Britain is facing the "greatest terror threat of its history", will unveil the government's Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill.It coincides with a week-long counter-terror police initiative, in which 6,000 people at schools, universities, airports, shopping centres and farms across the UK will be briefed on how they can help to combat terrorism.Islamic State has received £28m in ransom payments in the last year, according to the UN. The UK government has traditionally refused to pay ransoms because it says they fuel further kidnappings. But unlike the US, Britain has previously stopped short of taking legal actions against private organisations that try to pay ransoms.The new laws, which aim to protect the public and stem the flow of cash and recruits to terrorist groups such as Islamic State, also hopes to make it easier to track extremists on the internet. The government wants to ensure internet service providers keep data that could identify online users, although May has told BBC's Andrew Marr Show that pressure from the Liberal Democrats had stopped her going further on data issues.The new legislation, due to be published on Wednesday, makes it compulsory for public bodies, such as schools, colleges and prisons, to carry out work to prevent terrorism.The Bill will also allow border guards to seize the passports of suspected jihadists and ban extremists returning from Syria or Iraq from entering the UK for up to two years.Airlines could also be forbidden from landing in the UK if they do not provide advanced passenger lists.Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has said police and MI5 have already foiled five major terrorism plots this year – five times as many as in most previous years.

Also speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Sir Bernard warned that there is a "growing concern" about the risk of a "lone wolf" attack on British streets.

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