Yesterday in parliament

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June 9 session Detention of terror suspects Proposals to extend the pre-charge terror detention limit to 42 days are "right for the security of the country," the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, insisted despite lawyers' claims that the measure would breach human rights regulations. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has said it would seek judicial review if the extension was passed in Wednesday's crucial Commons vote and published legal advice claiming it could violate the European Convention on Human Rights. Liberal Democrat spokesman Chris Huhne called on Smith to drop the "ill thought-out, illiberal and counter-productive" measures. But the home secretary said: "Not only are my proposals compatible with the ECHR, as I spelt out in a letter to the chair of the EHRC ... but they are right for the security of this country." Manchester congestion charge The government gave the provisional go-ahead for a Pfund2.8bn package to introduce a congestion charge and improve public transport in Manchester. The transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, told the Commons ministers backed the scheme "in principle" and would work with Greater Manchester to develop it. Kelly said Pfund1.5bn of central government funding was being made available to meet the cost of the package. The majority of the improvements to public transport will take place before introduction of a congestion charge in 2013. For the Tories, Theresa Villiers accused the government of "bullying" and called for a referendum covering the whole of Greater Manchester. She taunted Kelly over whether she would "back her government or her constituents" of Bolton West over the proposals. Kelly's statement could be "the longest resignation letter in history", Villiers suggested.