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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Reid to unveil anti-terror plans | Reid to unveil anti-terror plans |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Home Secretary John Reid is due to outline a series of tougher anti-terrorism measures which he hopes to win cross-party agreement on. | |
| They may include another attempt to extend the 28-day limit on holding suspects without charge - and allowing questioning after someone is charged. | |
| He is also expected to say a committee of privy counsellors will look at allowing intercept evidence in court. | |
| The three-page discussion document will be unveiled later on Thursday. | |
| It is a discussion document rather than a white paper or a draft bill because, Mr Reid said, he wants cross-party support before announcing more concrete measures. | |
| There is simply no evidence that it has been needed Nick Clegg on extending the 28-day extension period class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6729027.stm">Q&A: Anti-terror legislation | |
| "I'm sure that of the range of measures that I'll introduce today, there will be many on which, given the recognition of the level of the threat, that there will in fact be cross-party support," he told BBC's Breakfast. | "I'm sure that of the range of measures that I'll introduce today, there will be many on which, given the recognition of the level of the threat, that there will in fact be cross-party support," he told BBC's Breakfast. |
| "On other ones, where there'll be more controversial views, and wider views, I'm hoping that the process I'm introducing, which is slightly different from what I've done before, will maximise the degree of support that we get." | "On other ones, where there'll be more controversial views, and wider views, I'm hoping that the process I'm introducing, which is slightly different from what I've done before, will maximise the degree of support that we get." |
| Moves scuppered | Moves scuppered |
| Mr Reid came under fire in May after three more suspects on control orders absconded. | |
| And he has blamed courts and opposition parties for scuppering previous moves to get tougher laws. | And he has blamed courts and opposition parties for scuppering previous moves to get tougher laws. |
| Attempts to extend the period for which suspects can be held to 90 days ended in Prime Minister Tony Blair's first Commons defeat in 2005. | Attempts to extend the period for which suspects can be held to 90 days ended in Prime Minister Tony Blair's first Commons defeat in 2005. |
| Chancellor Gordon Brown, who will succeed Mr Blair within weeks, has said he wants to look again at extending the current 28-day limit. | Chancellor Gordon Brown, who will succeed Mr Blair within weeks, has said he wants to look again at extending the current 28-day limit. |
| Intercept evidence | Intercept evidence |
| The government's independent reviewer of anti-terrorism legislation, Lib Dem peer Lord Carlile, reiterated his support for extending detention without charge beyond 28 days. | |
| "I can imagine that there may well come to be cases - and I'm not saying that there have been any yet - in which the need to protect evidence, to discover what the evidence is, to de-encrypt computers, to find people may not be achieved within 28 days. | |
| "At last we're having a proper consultation on this," he said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | |
| Next week, MPs will debate an amendment to a bill, approved by the House of Lords, which would allow telephone intercept evidence to be used in court. | |
| Lord Carlile said it was appropriate to allow telephone intercept evidence in court, but warned that it was "not a cure-all". | |
| "Having seen a lot of closed information, it is my opinion that intercept evidence might be useful in a small number of terrorism cases. It could prove very useful in relation to other very serious crimes and should be available for that too." | |
| He also supported a register of convicted terrorists, similar to the existing register for sex offenders, describing it as a "sensible" proposal. | |
| British liberties | |
| Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said his party would co-operate with the other parties, but "not at any cost". | Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said his party would co-operate with the other parties, but "not at any cost". |
| He insisted that maintaining a balance between "customary British liberties" and the new measures was essential and said he would not back an extension of the 28-day detention period. | He insisted that maintaining a balance between "customary British liberties" and the new measures was essential and said he would not back an extension of the 28-day detention period. |
| "There is simply no evidence that it has been needed," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | "There is simply no evidence that it has been needed," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
| BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the Liberal Democrats were concerned that announcing a privy council review could be a way of kicking the issue into the long grass. | BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the Liberal Democrats were concerned that announcing a privy council review could be a way of kicking the issue into the long grass. |
| And there has already been criticism of reported proposals to allow police to stop and question anyone in the UK about their identity and movements - similar to those in Northern Ireland - amid concerns about civil liberties. | And there has already been criticism of reported proposals to allow police to stop and question anyone in the UK about their identity and movements - similar to those in Northern Ireland - amid concerns about civil liberties. |