We won't be intimidated by terrorists, vows Smith

Confident performance: Jacqui Smith faces the Commons

Jacqui Smith said national unity would defeat the threat, as she thanked the public for its 'patient and measured' response to the weekend's attacks.

A confident Commons performance only days after taking over one of the toughest jobs in Cabinet reassured Labour MPs and boosted her credentials as a rising star on the Government bench.

Her words marked a distinct shift in the language used by ministers to describe the terror threat during the Blair administration.

Miss Smith pointedly avoided references to Muslims and condemned terrorists as 'criminals whose victims come from all walks of life, communities and religions'.

Miss Smith described a 'fastmoving' investigation, and said that police had 'substantially stepped up protective security measures' including greater use of stop-and-search powers.

"It is through our unity that the terrorists will eventually be defeated.

"The fact that people have been prepared to go about their lives as normally as possible this weekend sends the strongest message to those who wish to destroy our way of life and our freedoms that we will not be intimidated by terror."

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She added: "Terrorism is a serious threat to us all. We must ensure our resources, capability and legislation support our common endeavour to defend the shared values of this country from terror."

Miss Smith won praise for her 'calmness and dignity' from Shadow Home Secretary David Davis.

He pledged to support any request from the Government for additional funding to support the security services.

He also formally asked the Government to consider nominating for medals those civilians who helped tackle the attackers in Glasgow.

"In these days when the word 'hero' is bandied around for the most minor of achievements, a real hero is someone who runs towards danger whilst others run away," said Mr Davis.

There were renewed demands yesterday for an extension of the time for which terror suspects can be held without charge.

Raising the limit is one of three key changes expected to be brought forward by Gordon Brown, possibly this year.

But Lord Carlile, the Government's independent reviewer of terror legislation, urged politicians to stop arguing over particular time periods and simply allow the courts to decide on a case-bycase basis.