Government has dropped the key section of ‘anti-terror’ guidance which threatened freedom of speech at university Christian Unions. Widespread concern had emerged over the draft guidance for the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, which said that university societies in Britain would be forced to hand over external speakers’ talks two weeks in advance for vetting. It has been suggested that specific guidance on the issue of external speakers may be published before the General Election but it would not have any legal force. The Christian Institute welcomed the change, while student charity UCCF said: ‘We are profoundly thankful to the Lord for overruling in this.’ The issue concerns the Prevent strategy which aims to counter terrorism by addressing ‘extremism’. In January, Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights warned that the ‘legal uncertainty’ about the definition of ‘extremist’ will have a seriously inhibiting effect on bona fide academic debate’. (See also Prayer Alert 04-2015)