The marathon battle over new British anti-terror laws appeared to be over tonight after the Prime Minister Tony Blair produced a compromise.
During 30 hours of Parliamentary debate the measures were repeatedly batted between the Commons and the Lords. But the Prime Minister broke the deadlock this afternoon with the offer of a real chance to change them within a year.
Mr Blair insisted that did not amount to the "sunset clause" demanded by Tories which would automatically see the powers lapse.
However, Conservative leader Michael Howard said: "The Prime Minister has been forced to announce a sunset clause in all but name - he just couldn't quite bring himself to admit it."
Mr Howard dropped his party's demands for a higher burden of proof paving the way for the anti-terror Bill to be passed by both Houses.
Settlement had seemed far from certain earlier, as the Bill bringing in "control orders" for terror suspects who cannot be tried repeatedly 'ping-ponged' between MPs and peers.
The stand-off threatened to stretch into the weekend when the Lords, for the fourth time in 24 hours, voted for a sunset clause and a higher burden of proof. However, as MPs began yet another debate on the powers, Home Secretary Charles Clarke outlined a way forward.
More new laws, already proposed to create new offences such as planning terror acts, will be produced in the autumn to give plenty of time for discussion before they pass into law, he told the Commons.
An independent review of how the control orders are operating, already promised, will be published before the new Bill is launched next Spring, he added.
And, crucially, the measures under debate today could form part of the new Bill, Mr Clarke said. Speaking in No 10, Mr Blair said: "We have a sensible way through. "They should come to their senses, drop this opposition and let us get on with the business of protecting the people of this country."