Terrorism law to be reconsidered

Ministers are to reconsider powers to detain terrorist suspects without charge for up to 28 days. Senior civil servants will make several recommendations on the future of the controversial measure within weeks.

MPs must debate and vote on whether to renew the four-week limit before Parliament rises for a summer break at the end of July.

A review is under way and ministers will be given several options, including returning to a maximum of two weeks. One source close to the process said ending the 28-day limit is "certainly being discussed" but no decision has been made.

He said a new recommendation may have "some kind of mitigation", but many would be surprised if the limit returned to 14 days.

Powers to detain terror suspects for long periods were one of the most painful battlegrounds for the Labour administration.