Son of Scargill
27th November 2001, 08:16
MPs back emergency anti-terror powers
1:33am Tuesday, 27th November 2001
Emergency anti-terrorism powers cleared the Commons despite a series of backbench revolts.
The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill was given a third reading by 323 votes to 79, Government majority 244.
It now goes swiftly to the Lords where it faces a rough ride during eight scheduled days of scrutiny.
Introduced after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, the Bill began its Parliamentary passage a week ago.
MPs were given just three days to consider the 124 clauses covering everything from the detention of terrorist suspects without trial to a new offence of incitement to religious hatred.
This sparked angry complaints from all sides that it was being forced through too quickly and included measures not strictly related to combating terrorism.
In the most serious rebellion last week, the worst suffered by the Government this Parliament, 32 Labour backbenchers opposed powers allowing the Home Secretary's decisions on detention to go unchallenged by judicial review.
Twenty-one Labour MPs joined Tories and Liberal Democrats in a doomed bid to drop incitement to religious hatred from the Bill. Critics wanted the issue dealt with separately.
In the most significant concession offered so far, Home Secretary David Blunkett last week agreed to insert a sunset clause so detention powers will lapse after five years unless backed again by MPs.
© Copyright Ananova Ltd 2001, all rights reserved.
1:33am Tuesday, 27th November 2001
Emergency anti-terrorism powers cleared the Commons despite a series of backbench revolts.
The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill was given a third reading by 323 votes to 79, Government majority 244.
It now goes swiftly to the Lords where it faces a rough ride during eight scheduled days of scrutiny.
Introduced after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, the Bill began its Parliamentary passage a week ago.
MPs were given just three days to consider the 124 clauses covering everything from the detention of terrorist suspects without trial to a new offence of incitement to religious hatred.
This sparked angry complaints from all sides that it was being forced through too quickly and included measures not strictly related to combating terrorism.
In the most serious rebellion last week, the worst suffered by the Government this Parliament, 32 Labour backbenchers opposed powers allowing the Home Secretary's decisions on detention to go unchallenged by judicial review.
Twenty-one Labour MPs joined Tories and Liberal Democrats in a doomed bid to drop incitement to religious hatred from the Bill. Critics wanted the issue dealt with separately.
In the most significant concession offered so far, Home Secretary David Blunkett last week agreed to insert a sunset clause so detention powers will lapse after five years unless backed again by MPs.
© Copyright Ananova Ltd 2001, all rights reserved.