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Reforms 'boost' anti-terror fight 'No guarantee' in terrorism fight
(about 1 hour later)
Splitting up the Home Office will greatly improve Britain's security, Home Secretary John Reid says. The government "cannot guarantee 100% success" in its fight against terrorism, the home secretary says.
The new Office for Security and Counter Terrorism will play a "pivotal role" in allowing the home secretary to focus on national security, he said. 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.
In a speech Mr Reid said the changes will provide a "more agile" response to the terrorist threat. 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.
Terror threat 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.
He told a conference organised by the Royal United Services Institute: "It is vital that in the 21st Century we have a department concentrating on managing migration, cutting crime and tackling terrorism.
The proposed new structureThe proposed new structure
The new Office for Security and Counter Terrorism will play a pivotal role in this by enabling the Home Office to focus on personal, community and national security. 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."
"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
It also allows the home secretary to be able to get up every morning and to say: 'The highest priority on my mind is the protection of the nation 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.
However, he added that although there would be "100% commitment and 100% dedication, 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.
On Tuesday, Mr Reid told MPs that the Home Office would start recruiting for a director general immediately and hoped he or she would be in place within seven weeks. "We are making these changes because we cannot afford one ounce of complacency in this struggle against terrorism."
He also defended the changes against recent criticisms - such as those by former lord chief justice Lord Woolf, who was worried that the lord chancellor's traditional role would be watered down because of his new responsibilities when the Department for Constitutional Affairs has its functions taken over by the new Ministry of Justice. 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.
Mr Reid told MPs that boosting the Home Office's counter-terrorism was expected to cost £15m and Permanent Secretary Sir David Normington confirmed the department would recruit an extra 150 staff to work in the area. "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.
Plans criticised 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. "This is adding real capacity, strategic thought, integration, personnel, and resources in the battle against counter terrorism."
"It also allows the home secretary to be able to get up every morning and to say: 'The highest priority on my mind is the protection of the nation, and the combating of terrorism along with personal and community security'." 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.
The plans to split the Home Office have attracted criticism from some former home secretaries - notably Mr Reid's predecessors, Charles Clarke and David Blunkett.
On Tuesday Lord Woolf told the BBC that, with his added responsibilities, the lord chancellor could find it harder to safeguard the integrity of the court service and judiciary.
He was worried changes were happening too quickly, and without adequate consultation.
He said: "We should work it out beforehand and not wait until we have created the change and then somehow or other try to scramble to get it into place.
"This is a very big change for our constitution."
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