A bill to allow British and foreign terrorism suspects to be detained under house arrest without trial is to go through parliament within 14 days, it was announced yesterday.

The bill will be published today, and will receive its second reading in the Commons tomorrow.

The remaining stages will be completed next Monday, while peers will be given two days to scrutinise the measures, which one Labour backbencher called "the greatest attack on the liberty of British people for 300 years".

Ministers have justified the tight deadline, by highlighting that existing powers to detain terrorist suspects without trial lapse on March 14.

"This is vitally important legislation," Conservative leader Michael Howard said.

"I do not believe Britain's best interests will be served by rushing it through parliament."