Control orders: MPs and campaigners mock new 'lite' terror suspect rules

Civil rights groups accused the Government of "bottling" the decision on the future of counter-terrorism powers, saying the rebranded control orders were simply a "lower-fat form" of their predecessors and would still restrict rights to privacy, movement and expression.

Home Secretary Theresa May gave a clear signal that the restrictions on suspected terrorists against whom prosecutions cannot be brought are here to stay, saying the powers will no longer need to be reviewed every year.

But the term "control order" has been scrapped and will be replaced with "terrorism prevention and investigation measures", or Tpims.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: "When it comes to ending punishment without trial, the Government appears to have bottled it. Spin and semantics aside, control orders are retained and rebranded, if in a slightly lower-fat form.

"Parliament must now decide whether the final flavour will be of progress, disappointment or downright betrayal."

The plans amount to a "control order-lite" which could lead to "potentially punishing the innocent while the truly dangerous may remain at large in the community", Liberty said.

Tim Hancock, of Amnesty International UK, added that while the proposals are "less drastic than the previous control orders regime", they would still impose "significant restrictions on the rights to liberty, privacy, expression, movement and association".

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also warned that the plans are a "political fudge" and left gaps which raise "serious questions about security and resources".

The decision to scrap 16-hour curfews while bringing in overnight residence requirements were greeted with guffaws of laughter from MPs.

The overnight stays will be monitored by electronic tags and there will be an additional level of flexibility, with the suspects allowed to apply to spend a night away from their main residence.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who campaigned at the General Election on a pledge to abolish control orders completely, said the new rules were a "proportionate response which ensures that we keep the British people safe but do so in line with the finest traditions of due process and equality before the law".

Mr Clegg denied failing to secure meaningful change to the previous regime.