Frantic final efforts to sway 42-day detention vote

Published on Wednesday 11 June 2008 10:28

FRANTIC last-ditch negotiations were under way today as the Government tried to avoid a Commons defeat over extending the period of detention without charge to 42 days.

Ministers were expected to offer Labour rebels a further concession, proposing a compensation plan under which any suspect held for more than 28 days and later not charged could receive 3000 for each extra day in custody.

However, tonight's vote was still on a knife edge, with Labour rebels insisting their numbers were holding strong.

The nine Democratic Unionist Party MPs from Northern Ireland, who could swing the result, were meeting this morning to discuss their position.

Today, shadow home secretary David Davis said the Tories would "almost certainly" reverse the 42-day terror detention provisions if they were in power.

He said they would focus instead on using intercepted and bugging evidence in court, plea bargaining and allowing suspects to be interviewed after being charged, as well as a "much harder" approach towards those who radicalise young people.

Former cabinet minister Frank Dobson, one of the leading Labour rebels, said the vote was "entirely unpredictable".

He said he expected around half the 50 or 60 opponents of the measure to stick to their position, but admitted: "People are faced with a genuine dilemma."