British MPs tonight again resisted changes to key new anti-terror powers inflicted on the government by the Lords.
The Prevention of Terrorism Bill was sent back to the Upper House for peers to reconsider for the second time today. But in this bitter clash of wills neither side looked set to give way. MPs and peers were digging in for a long night.
As the row over the imposition of control orders on terrorist suspects continued, in a brief but rowdy Commons debate, Home Secretary Charles Clarke suggested Conservative calls for a sunset clause could encourage "terrorists to locate in Britain".
But he offered a further concession to critics by extending the scope of the annual review of the legislation. Earlier today, peers continued to defy the Government as a tense game of Parliamentary ping-pong between the two Houses threatened to go right to the wire.
The Lords insisted by 250 to 100, majority 150, to reinsert a sunset clause into the Bill but for a year rather than the eight months as originally proposed. MPs rejected this 324 to 217, majority 107.
Peers also backed an amendment to create a committee of the Privy Council to review the operation of the Act and stuck to their guns over the burden of proof required before control orders can be made against terror suspects.
These changes were overturned by the Government with comfortable majorities in the Commons. The Bill will now be batted back to the Lords