Government rejects detention compromise
There will be no compromise on plans to allow police to detain terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge, home secretary Charles Clarke said last night.
Instead, the government will introduce a sunset clause to the controversial legislation that will require parliament to debate the issue again in 12 months time.
He made the announcement following a meeting between Tony Blair and Labour MPs, in which the prime minister put forward the case for extending the current detention time of 14 days.
Many Labour backbenchers are concerned – as are the Lib Dems and the Tories – that introducing a maximum three months detention, even subject to judicial review, is a major threat to civil liberties.
A vote on the controversial clause in the terrorism bill was postponed last week pending further cross-party talks, and Mr Clarke indicated that a compromise would be forthcoming.
The Tories have said they would accept a 28-day compromise – although the Lib Dems are firmly against any extension of the current two weeks – and it was thought this could provide the basis for a government deal on the issue.
However, last night Mr Clarke announced that ministers would be sticking to the original proposal of 90 days – as requested by police and security services – when MPs vote on the issue tomorrow.
“The 90 days recommended by the police is what we think is the best way to protect the country,” he told reporters last night.
He said he understood some concerns, but stated: “I decided that a sunset clause, which meant that we would review the whole situation in the round, was the right way to proceed to meet some of those concerns.
“At the end of the day, we are seeking agreement across the House of Commons. The government’s position is 90 days is the right period of pre-charge detention. We accept the police case; we believe it’s a strong case.”
However, shadow attorney general Dominic Grieve said the decision “makes a mockery of the assurances that Charles Clarke gave earlier”, adding that it suggested a “major split” between Mr Blair and the Home Office.
“It shows that the government has behaved with a degree of deceit in dealing with parliament. It is now for parliament to ensure that there is adequate support for national security while maintaining essential freedoms,” he said.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said that 90-day detention was “unacceptable”, adding: “Last week the home secretary saved himself from total defeat by agreeing to reconsider 90 days. His refusal tonight leaves the bill in tatters.”
The decision to postpone the vote on the 90-day detention period came after the government’s majority was slashed to just one when MPs voted on creating a new offence of encouraging terrorism.
An amendment that would have tightened up the offence was only narrowly defeated, with the government’s original proposal passing by 300 votes to 299.
If MPs vote against extending the detention period to 90 days tomorrow, senior Labour backbencher Janet Anderson will table an alternative proposal, to extend the time to 60 days.
