Blair supports detaining terror suspects for 90 days

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday declared his continuing support for police demands to detain terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge, less than 24 hours after Home Secretary Charles Clarke offered a compromise on the issue.

At yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Mr Blair said he still regarded the police case for extended powers of detention as "compelling."

But he acknowledged the Government faced a stiff fight to push through its Terrorism Bill after it escaped a Commons defeat on another proposal, covering the glorification of terrorist acts, by just one vote.

His official spokesman said Mr Blair told the Cabinet: "Times are tough but they are tough because the Government is trying to do the right thing."

In the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Clarke was forced to offer all-party talks on the 90-day limit after it became clear the Government was facing defeat on a rebel amendment cutting the time suspects could be held to 28 days.

He told MPs he hoped they could reach an agreement on "a figure beyond 14 days" the limit for holding a suspect without charge under existing anti-terrorism laws.

Mr Blair's spokesman refused to say if revised proposals to be published next week by Mr Clarke would include the 90-day limit.

But he said police believed the greater use of encrypted computers, as well as the language difficulties inherent in combating international terrorist networks, meant it was essential they had the additional time to question suspects.

In one instance it had taken police between six and eight weeks to analyse material found in a rubbish dump in Dewsbury the home of three of the London Tube bombers.

Mr Clarke said he was anxious to secure an agreement.

He told BBC radio: "I will discuss with all parts of Parliament the Labour Party, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, even the Welsh nationalists what they think is the right thing to do."

He urged MPs to consult their local police before making up their minds.

Both Tory leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy made it clear that they remained unconvinced by the Government's arguments.

Mr Howard said: "The truth is, the Government have not made the case for that period. The arguments which the Government have so far put forward don't withstand that degree of scrutiny."

Mr Kennedy said that his party was even opposed to a 28-day compromise.

"Our position has been throughout and remains that we think that 14 days is the necessary and what should be the absolute limit," he said.

Meanwhile, it has emerged two senior Liberal Democrats missed the knife-edge vote on the Terrorism Bill.

Former deputy leader Alan Beith was attending a funeral, while Treasury spokesman Vince Cable had become caught up in a mass lobby of Parliament by the Make Poverty History Campaign.