PM hits back over terror suspect escapes

Home Office admits control orders inadequate after terror suspects escape

Tuesday, 17, Oct 2006 12:00

The government wanted to introduce tougher restrictions on terror suspects but was blocked by opposition parties and the courts, Tony Blair said today.

He was speaking after it was revealed last night that two suspects had escaped - an Iraqi man evaded the security services in August, and a British man climbed out of a window to escape from a secure psychiatric unit in London two weeks ago.

The men are among 15 considered dangerous enough to place under control orders, which meant they were under virtual house arrest, would have had their computer and telephones under constant surveillance and would probably have been tagged.

Opposition parties have condemned the government for the security breaches - and questioned why they were not made public until yesterday - but today Mr Blair said ministers had wanted to introduce tougher measures but were prevented from doing so.

The control order system was introduced under the Terrorism Act 2005 after the law lords ruled the indefinite detention of terror suspects without charge at Belmarsh prison was unlawful. The decision was backed by opposition parties.

"We wanted far tougher laws against terrorism, we were prevented by the opposition in parliament and then by the courts in ensuring that was done," Mr Blair told his monthly press conference.

He added: "Some of the self-same people who are criticising us on control orders today were leading the charge against the legislation that would have allowed us to detain these people."

Last night, Home Office minister Tony McNulty failed to explain why the public had not been informed of the escapes earlier, but stressed: "In terms of public safety all that can be done has been done and we will try to make sure this does not happen again."

He told Newsnight that the government was still appealing the law lords' decision on Belmarsh, adding: "We have always said control orders were a second best option."

The minister indicated he was looking at a tougher version of the orders, saying: "We will keep this under review. We have provision within the law for a different form of control order and, at the moment, we do not rule either out."

Shadow home secretary David Davis last night described the escapes as "extraordinary", saying after news of the British man's escape: "The government justified control orders on the basis of protecting the public from potentially dangerous terrorists.

"It is therefore hard to understand how this man was allowed to escape, especially while undergoing psychiatric assessment."

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said the escapes were a "huge embarrassment" for the government and should act as a "spur" for ministers to develop better ways to get terror suspects into court.

"As we have always made clear, the danger of control orders is that they short-circuit due process and keep suspects in a state of limbo. Our aim must be to get suspects into court and, where they are guilty, convicted," he said.