LONDON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Wednesday set out a series of measures to increase security against terrorism, calling for longer pre-charge holding time for terror suspects, and a "unified border police."

    The British government would be consulting on four options for changing the current 28-day limit, said Brown in a statement on national security delivered to the House of Commons.

    While one option would reduce the risk of holding a suspect without charge for 28 days by allowing post-charge questioning, the other three options would increase the amount of time that, in rare circumstances, a suspect could be held, he said.

    Brown said the government had constructively engaged with the human rights organization, Liberty, when drawing up the proposals.

    Brown also announced plans to "strengthen the powers and surveillance capability of our border guards and security officers" by establishing a unified border force.

    He said his government's priority is to make Britain "strong insecurity, robust in our resolve, resilient in response."

    "As a nation, we both defeat terrorism and isolate violent extremism, wherever we confront it and whatever its source," he said.

    Starting next month, people arriving in Britain will be met at the border by a highly visible, uniformed presence, and a single primary checkpoint for both passport control and customs will be introduced shortly afterwards.

    Additionally, Brown also confirmed that, the biometric visas already in place for immigrants from high-risk countries, within nine months, will be extended to all visa applicants.

    The British government is committed to the introduction of ID cards, said Brown, adding that British citizens would carry the first biometric ID cards from 2009 and any foreign nationals coming to the UK for more than six months will be required to have a biometric ID from the end of 2008.

    He said that this would "prevent people already in the country using multiple identities for terrorist, criminal or other purposes."

    He also said that he wanted to consult on how intercept evidence was treated and new provisions for pre-charge detention and post-charge questioning.

    "Since the attacks of July 7th 2005, communities in Britain and across the world have come together in a common front against terrorism and against the propaganda that fuels it," said he.

    "This requires not just the security measures I have outlined but that we work with all communities and all countries through debate, discussion, dialogue and education as we tackle at root the evils that risk driving people, particularly vulnerable young people, into the hands of violent extremists." said he.

    "Here schools, colleges, universities, civil society, faith groups - indeed every institution in our country - have a part to play." he added.