Westminster: Neil Gerrard last week urged the government to re-think some of the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Bill currently going through parliament.

The Walthamstow MP argued for safeguards in sections of the Bill dealing with the detention of suspected terrorists.

He said: "In this country we have always resisted the idea of jailing people without trial. If this Bill becomes law the home secretary will be able to detain someone on suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities, or even because of having links with someone who is suspected of terrorism.

"The evidence that the home secretary will use will be from intelligence services, and in may cases this will mean not British services but the intelligence services of foreign governments.

"I believe it is important that we have safeguards, so that someone who is threatened with jail in this way can have a legal review of the home secretary's decision.

"No other European country is proposing to go as far as this, even though everyone is concerned, quite rightly, to step up security and to stop terrorist groups being able to mount further attacks."

Mr Gerrard was one of 32 Labour MPs who voted against this part of the Bill at the end of the debate.

Mr Gerrard has joined an RNID campaign to urge the government to provide digital hearing aids on the NHS. The campaign has already resulted in the government creating First Wave digital hearing aid services at 20 NHS trusts.

November 30, 2001 16:00