Monday, March 7 2005 16:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Amidst the debate over Britain's proposed anti-terror regulations, the Home Office has said only 10 to 20 terror suspects are expected to be issued with control orders under the new law.

"The figures for those expected to be subject to a control order are not expected to be substantial," a media report quoted the official Home Office assessment as saying.

The Home Office report estimates it will cost between 100,000 and 250,000 Pounds a year to keep these terror suspects, whose number they put between 10 and 20, under surveillance for a year, including the cost of tracking their bank accounts, the 'Guardian' reported.

The Government said the control orders will be cheaper than the annual cost of holding each terror suspect in a high-security prison which amounts to 40,000 Pounds.

The Home Office assessment runs contrary to the warning of former Metropolitan Police commissioner John Stevens who said yesterday (March 6, 2005) that at least 100 and probably nearer 200 al-Qaeda trained fighters were "walking the streets of Britain" with ability to carry out devastating terror attacks.

The report said private security staff were to be used to monitor the new control orders in an attempt to save money. They will be responsible for day-to-day surveillance of the terror suspects through electronic tagging.

Private agencies are already contracted to run the electronic tagging systems monitoring the movements of sex offenders and criminals released on licence from prison.

Senior civil servants have also been asked to assess the likely impact of the anti-terror legislation, which is being rushed through Parliament, the paper said.