Counter-Terrorism Bill — Extension of Maximim Period of Police Detention Without Charge in Terror Cases from 28 to 42 Days — 11 Jun 2008 at 17:45

The majority of MPs voted to extend the period of police detention without making any criminal charges of terrorist suspects from 28 days[1] to 42 days, subject to a complex series of bureaucratic procedures. See also the next vote which outlined the powers themselves.

The procedures include:

  • Statement - The Home Secretary must make a statement that a grave exceptional terrorist threat has occurred or is occurring for which this power to detain suspects without charge beyond 28 days is necessary for the purposes of investigation and bringing to justice those responsible.[2]
  • Legal advice - Independent legal advice (from a lawyer not employed by the Government) must be obtained as to whether the Home Secretary can be properly satisfied by his or her statement.[3]
  • DPP report - A report must be made by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the chief police officer which states that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the detention of one or more persons beyond 28 days will be necessary to obtain or preserve evidence that relates to the commission by the detained person or persons of a serious terrorist offence.[4]
  • Committee chairs - A copy of the legal advice and the report must be provided in confidence to the chairmen of the Home Affairs Committee, Joint Committee on Human Rights, and the Intelligence and Security Committee.[5]

Although this threatened to be the largest Labour Party rebellion for Gordon Brown,[6] a bigger one occurred six weeks earlier.[7]

A comparison between MPs' votes on the 90 day detention and this 42 day detention is here or reported in the Guardian here. The list of related Parliamentary votes on detaining persons without charge is here.

Debate in Parliament | Source |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (Aye)Minority (No)BothTurnout
Con1 189 (+1 tell)099.5%
DUP9 00100.0%
Independent1 40100.0%
Independent Labour0 10100.0%
Lab301 (+2 tell) 36196.9%
LDem0 62 (+1 tell)0100.0%
PC0 30100.0%
Respect0 10100.0%
SDLP0 30100.0%
SNP0 60100.0%
UKIP1 00100.0%
UUP1 00100.0%
Total:314 305198.1%

Rebel Voters - sorted by party

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Ann WiddecombeMaidstone and The WealdConaye
Diane AbbottHackney North and Stoke NewingtonLabno
Richard BurdenBirmingham, NorthfieldLab (minister)no
Katy ClarkNorth Ayrshire and ArranLab (minister)no
Harry CohenLeyton and WansteadLab (minister)no
Frank CookStockton NorthLab (minister)no
Jeremy CorbynIslington NorthLabno
Jim CousinsNewcastle upon Tyne CentralLab (minister)no
Andrew DismoreHendonLab (minister)no
Frank DobsonHolborn and St PancrasLabno
David DrewStroudLab (minister)no
Paul FarrellyNewcastle-under-LymeLab (minister)no
Mark FisherStoke-on-Trent CentralLabno
Paul FlynnNewport WestLab (minister)no
Neil GerrardWalthamstowLab (minister)no
Ian GibsonNorwich NorthLab (minister)no
Roger GodsiffBirmingham, Sparkbrook and Small HeathLabno
John GroganSelbyLab (minister)no
Dai HavardMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLab (minister)no
Kate HoeyVauxhallLab (minister)no
Kelvin HopkinsLuton NorthLab (minister)no
Glenda JacksonHampstead and HighgateLabno
Lynne JonesBirmingham, Selly OakLab (minister)no
Peter KilfoyleLiverpool, WaltonLabno
Andrew MacKinlayThurrockLab (minister)no
Robert Marshall-AndrewsMedwayLabno
John Martin McDonnellHayes and HarlingtonLabno
Michael MeacherOldham West and RoytonLabno
Julie MorganCardiff NorthLab (minister)no
Chris MullinSunderland SouthLab (minister)no
Doug NaysmithBristol North WestLab (minister)no
Gordon PrenticePendleLab (minister)no
Linda RiordanHalifaxLab (minister)no
Alan SimpsonNottingham SouthLabno
Emily ThornberryIslington South and FinsburyLab (minister)no
David WinnickWalsall NorthLab (minister)no
Mike WoodBatley and SpenLabno
David TaylorNorth West LeicestershireLab (minister)both

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