The Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, has defended his decision not to provide more information about why one of the killers of James Bulger, Jon Venables, has been recalled to prison.

Venables, who was released on licence in 2001, was taken back into custody last week because of what Mr Straw said were "extremely serious allegations". A number of newspapers have claimed that Venables has been detained on suspicion of child pornography offences. Mr Straw said he was currently unable to provide more details about the case.

But, pressed by Today presenter John Humphrys over the public interest in having more details released, Mr Straw hinted that more information might be revealed. "I understand your point and I will give further consideration to it during the day," he said.

"I think it's pretty well known that my over-riding instinct in public life is to give as much information as possible as early as possible. It's not to sit on things... so there has to be a good reason for doing what I am doing at the moment."

Venables, now aged 27, and Robert Thompson killed James after abducting him from a shopping centre on Merseyside in 1993.