Q&A: Terror suspects release

Five foreign terror suspects held without charge by the UK Government have been released.

BBC Home Affairs correspondent Rory Maclean explains their bail conditions and examines why they are proving so controversial.

What happened to the terror suspects on Friday?

The remaining eight foreign terror suspects detained under part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act came before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) and their cases were dealt with in order to give them the bail to which they are already entitled. They are in the process of being released.

What are the bail conditions?

These bail conditions include things like electronic tagging, curfews and not being allowed to use mobile phones.

In fact, they are exactly the same conditions the home secretary would like to see in the control orders he is proposing. If, and that is a big if, the government get this through, they intend to turn these bail conditions into control orders.

Isn't it the case that if they are released in this way, they won't be able to meet anyone with prior arrangement without Home Office permission?

That was one of the conditions that was argued about between lawyers for the home secretary and the men's lawyers but that is one of the conditions they will be released on if they want to be released.

If they refuse the conditions obviously they can stay in prison.

If the anti-terrorism bill does not become law and control orders are not available, what will happen next?

The home secretary does have a final card that he could play. He could renew the old legislation on his own authority for a further 40 days.

He would be able to keep these men out on the bail conditions for 40 days without having to do anything else, but only for 40 days.