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'No guarantee' in terrorism fight | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The government "cannot guarantee 100% success" in its fight against terrorism, the home secretary says. | |
John Reid said he could only promise "100% commitment" from police, security services and the Home Office as it shifts its focus to security. | |
He said the "struggle" against terrorism would "be unrelenting and of lengthy duration." | |
The Home Office is to be split from 9 May, to concentrate on crime reduction, terrorism and mass migration. | The Home Office is to be split from 9 May, to concentrate on crime reduction, terrorism and mass migration. |
The reforms will boost security and provide a "more agile" response to terror threats, Mr Reid told an audience at the Royal United Services Institute. | |
The new Office for Security and Counter Terrorism would play a "pivotal role" by enabling the Home Office to focus on personal, community and national security, he added. | |
The proposed new structure | The proposed new structure |
Mr Reid said: "It will provide that faster, brighter and more agile response to the terrorist threat through a new drive, cohesion, and by providing a greater strategic capacity to our fight against terrorism." | |
We are making these changes because we cannot afford one ounce of complacency in this struggle against terrorism John Reid class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6589869.stm">Media leaks warning | |
However, he added: "I can promise you 100% commitment from everyone involved, 100% dedication, but I have to be straight: we cannot promise 100% success. | |
"That would be an insult to your intelligence, to my integrity, to indicate that we can ever guarantee that in fighting terrorism. | |
"We are making these changes because we cannot afford one ounce of complacency in this struggle against terrorism." | |
He praised the work of the police and security services in "heroically defending this nation from terrorist attacks," saying that they had averted "half a dozen" tragedies in recent years. | |
"The changes that we are introducing by refocusing the Home Office on immigration, crime and counter-terrorism are intended to supplement those efforts," Mr Reid said. | |
More staff | |
On Tuesday, Mr Reid told MPs that boosting the Home Office's counter-terrorism effort was expected to cost £15m. | |
Permanent Secretary Sir David Normington confirmed the department would recruit an extra 150 staff to work in the area. | |
"This is not just redesignating a minister," Mr Reid told MPs. | "This is not just redesignating a minister," Mr Reid told MPs. |
"This is adding real capacity, strategic thought, integration, personnel, and resources in the battle against counter terrorism." | |
The plans to split the Home Office have attracted criticism from some former home secretaries, including Mr Reid's predecessors, Charles Clarke and David Blunkett. | |
Return to top | Return to top |