Blair to stage anti-terror summits
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Home Secretary Charles Clarke are to hold a series of summits designed to pave the way for agreement on new anti-terror laws.
Mr Clarke will also review his existing powers of exclusion and deportation, and see if in future extra conditions could be attached to those given asylum or leave to remain in the UK, Downing Street announced today.
Mr Blair is to hold talks in Downing Street next Thursday with senior members of the intelligence services and police officers to hear from them what powers they need, said No 10.
Mr Clarke will meet his Liberal Democrat and Conservative opposite numbers on Monday, giving them details of the proposals the Government will seek to include in its controversial anti-terror Bill due to return to the Commons this autumn, after failing to pass through the Lords earlier this year.
Mr Blair will also hold talks the week after next with Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy and Tory leader Michael Howard to try to reach agreement on the new laws, the BritishPrime Minister’s official spokesman said today.
Details of the meetings were outlined to Cabinet this morning at its regular weekly meeting – which also expressed “sincere thanks” to the emergency services for their work in dealing with the July 7 attacks and their aftermath.
Of Mr Clarke’s meeting on Monday with Lib Dem spokesman Mark Oaten and Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, Mr Blair’s spokesman said: “The aim would be to make the discussions as open and productive as possible and in this spirit he will make available to them the current list of proposals for the legislation in advance.”
On Tuesday, as No 10 announced yesterday, Mr Blair will host a Downing Street meeting with Muslim community leaders which will also include Mr Howard and Mr Kennedy.
On Thursday, the spokesman said: “The Prime Minister will chair a meeting in Downing Street with senior members of the intelligence services, intelligence agencies, the police and relevant ministers.
“As the Prime Minister has already made clear we stand ready to give the police and the security services any powers they need as a result of this atrocity and the investigation into it.”
