Smith seeks compromise on 28-day detention

Jacqui Smith says she is "disappointed" opposition parties are unwilling to compromise on extending the detention-without-trial limit beyond 28 days.

The home secretary said the time had come to allow parliamentary debate on the issue by pushing ahead with the counter-terrorism bill.

The Home Office's proposals to extend the amount of time terror suspects can be detained to 42 days has attracted criticism from those who argue the threat from terrorism does not justify the erosion of civil liberties such a move would cause.

Among the bodies expressing concern at the proposal is the Commons' home affairs committee, which questioned Ms Smith in parliament this morning.

Ms Smith told the committee she believed the government had been willing to move away from its original position in an attempt "to build consensus".

But she said while the government had "fundamentally changed our position" others had not.

"I haven't succeeded in building a consensus with opposition parties… but [there is consensus] among people, even those who oppose legislation, that this is an issue that needs a response now. It might be appropriate to legislate on a precautionary basis."

The home secretary said she had to balance the importance of compromising with her fundamental duty towards "the security of people in this country".

"If there is a consensus… that we have a problem here, potentially in the future, is it or is it not right that we should legislation on a proportionate and precautionary nature?" she added.

The counter-terrorism bill seeks to replace the Civil Contingencies Act, which the home affairs committee concluded contained serious legal problems in its report in December.

The report found only six of the 71 responses to the government's consultation on the 28-day extension had been "unequivocally in favour".