EMERGENCY legislation extending police powers to stop and search terrorist suspects will be rushed through the House of Commons today. Some Labour MPs are furious and the SDLP is raising the matter with the Irish Government.
The British Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, told MPs yesterday that the strengthening of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was necessary to protect the public against a continuing IRA threat.
In words which suggested little confidence that the IRA ceasefire might be quickly restored, Mr Howard declared. "We face a real threat of a continuing IRA campaign of murder. No one should be deceived by the fact that for a few weeks we have had a lull. The IRA ceasefire ended with the South Quay bomb."
There was speculation at Westminster last night that the move might be associated with fears of an IRA attack to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Easter Rising. However, some sources suspected a "populist" move by Mr Howard and suggested that Northern Ireland ministers might be unhappy with it.
Mr Jack Straw, the shadow home secretary, said Labour would not stand in the way of the new measures, to be enacted on a timetable motion and to be on the statute book before parliament rises tomorrow for the Easter break. He said he was happy, on the basis of the security briefing given, that the case for the additional powers had been made.
However, it is believed that some 30 or 40 Labour MPs, led by Mr Kevin McNamara, the former Northern Ireland spokesman, could oppose the Labour leadership. Mr McNamara said the government's haste alone would be sufficient grounds to oppose the measures which will allow police to
. stop and search pedestrians within designated areas for devices they may have concealed about them
. seek a magistrate's warrant to search a list of non-residential buildings, such as lock up garages, where police receive specific intelligence
. search unaccompanied freight at ports
. cordon off areas during bomb alerts or while forensic investigations are conducted
. impose parking restrictions where there is a threat to premises, such as government buildings or royal residences.
The proposed new powers are said to mirror those already possessed by the RUC in Northern Ireland. Welcoming Mr Howard's announcement, Mr David Trimble, the Ulster Unionist Party leader, said they underlined the need for "a single United Kingdom wide anti terrorism act".
But some Labour MPs reacted furiously. Mr Harry Barnes said he was worried about the civil liberties implications and argued that such "draconian provisions would be an aid to the IRA. Mr Max Madden said they would bear "disproportionately on working class communities". And Mr Jeremy Corbyn denounced the measures as "a return to the SUS (Stop On Suspicion) laws by the back door."
In a statement last night, Mr Seamus Mallon, the SDLP's deputy leader, accused the British government of "an underhand and contemptuous approach to the passage of emergency legislation".
Mr Mallon, who is to raise the issue in a meeting with the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, said "The PTA was passed only a fortnight ago on March 14th. Then there was no suggestion whatsoever that new elements of that legislation would be proposed by the government and railroaded through parliament by guillotine.
The government's action was "underhand in the extreme", said Mr Mallon. And the fact that it was not signalled in last Thursday's statement announcing business for the week showed "contempt for parliamentary procedure, for the right to consultation, and the need to allow detailed scrutiny of the Bill".