BBC
Thursday, November 16, 2006

Home Secretary John Reid says he will finish his review of anti-terrorism measures before Christmas.
In an interview with the BBC, he said it may mean new laws - giving security services the "tools they need to counter terrorism".

He did not confirm whether they would include plans to increase the maximum time for which suspects can be detained without charge.

Tony Blair earlier said he still backed an increase from 28 days to 90 days.

Mr Reid told the BBC: "We are making every effort we can with the review that I am conducting to make sure that we get a review of the capabilities, the structures, the resources and the powers necessary, which may require new laws to give our security services the tools they need to counter terrorism.

"I'm trying to make sure that those proposals are out before Christmas, before the turn of the year and then we will bring new laws to parliament thereafter."

Support needed

When asked whether those new laws would include a 90 day limit on the holding of terror suspects, he added: "The whole of parliament should be supporting the police and the security services in giving them the tools they need to defeat terrorism.

"That is what the country wants; that is what my review is doing."

Tony Blair has said he still backs plans to hold terror suspects for up to 90 days without charge.

He said he believed the evidence backed longer detention and that he had not changed his mind since losing a Commons vote on the issue last year.

But the prime minister, in an e-mail question and answer session, said he wanted to "proceed by consensus".

Police backing

New anti-terror plans could be brought in before Christmas, he added, saying that police wanted longer detentions.

The proposals, he said, would be "based on an analysis now of what has gone on in the past few months and how we make sure we have the most effective laws to deal with the terrorist threat that we face".

He added: "The issue to do with the number of days of detention will be part of that."

The government's plans to bring in a 90-day limit on detentions were voted down by the Commons last year, with MPs and peers eventually settling on 28 days. Previously, the limit had been 14 days.

Mr Blair said: "I supported 90 days before on the basis that, particularly, the police handling terrorism for us thought that that was what was needed.

"But we have got to look at it again."

John Reid said on Wednesday that the UK faced a "wave" of terrorist plots, prepared strategically and directed from abroad by al-Qaeda.

Although no anti-terror bill was included in the Queen's Speech, pending Mr Reid's review of options, the government promised to "fill gaps" in legislation.