Tony Blair: "We cannot slow this process down"

The Tory motion, which was defeated by 343 to 141, came as police confirmed that a former IRA terrorist found dead in County Down had been murdered.

Prime Minister Tony Blair told the House of Commons: "I accept this often has to be an imperfect process and an imperfect peace - but it is better than no process at all."

He said fewer acts of violence had been carried out in the province during 1998 than in previous years and no reason existed for dramatic action.

Caroline Quinn: "The prisoner releases continue"

But Conservative leader William Hague insisted the government has "not only the power but the justification" for halting early terrorist prisoner releases in the face of on-going violence.

Mr Blair disagreed, although he contradicted an earlier statement by Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam who said she lacked the legal power to stop prisoner releases.

Tony Blair: "Releases would threaten entire peace process"

The prime minister said: "We can stop them altogether. That is true. We should do so in circumstances where we then declare the ceasefire no longer exists.

"If that were to be the case the consequences would be immense for the whole of the process in Northern Ireland.

"I'm not saying it would never be wrong to come to that judgement, I'm just saying that's not the right judgement now."

Since last week's exchange in the Commons on the subject, Mr Hague said a 24-year-old man had been shot and Eamon Collins had been found dead.

Chief Political Correspondent John Sergeant: Peace process under greater strain than ever

He said there was abundant evidence to justify at least putting on hold the prisoner release programme.

He warned that "every single terrorist could be released from prison without a single gun being given up".

But Mr Blair retorted, saying although he accepted the Tory leader's genuine concern on the issue, he thought he was being led by people whose aim was to destroy the Good Friday Agreement.

He added: "I simply say to Tory MPs, when you were in government, we gave you that support through the difficult as well as the easy times.

Mo Mowlam: Pressing for completion of peace process

"I don't dispute their right to raise it but I do question the motives of some of them in doing so."

The Conservatives kept up the pressure on the issue through an opposition day debate in the House of Commons.

Opening the debate, shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Andrew Mackay called for an end to paramilitary prisoner releases, saying: "Our judgement is that it is far more likely that the beatings will stop if the terrorist prisoners are no longer released."

Dr Mowlam said she shared the disgust of the prime minister and Mr Hague at the attacks and many of the concerns raised by Mr Mackay.

Legal challenge

She told MPs: "I do not believe, given the advice I have that the ceasefires continue to hold, that if I rewrote the agreement unilaterally stopping one part - prisoner releases - that the process would stay intact. I could also face challenges in the courts."

In the event of "clear evidence" emerging that any prisoner released under the agreement was involved, Dr Mowlam said she would not hesitate to act.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, Northern Ireland's first minister, described the beatings as "social terrorism" which loyalists were engaged in as much as republicans.

He described the suggestion the agreement would collapse if prisoner releases were stopped or slowed down as "chilling".

"That's quite an appalling state of affairs. Prisoner releases are part of the agreement, but they are part of the whole and that includes the end of violence."