Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has said that he is "not sure what the big deal is" over whether an appeal against the deportation of radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada was lodged by his lawyers to the European Court of Human Rights in time.

Ken Clarke told the Today programme's John Humphrys that the Home Secretary's insistence that the deadline was Monday and not Tuesday as the Abu Qatada's lawyers have said, "may well be proved to be right".

Home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says the Home Office were aware on Monday of a difference in view with the European Court of Human Rights over the deadline.

"The key thing is when will we get the decision that we want, which is for him to be deported to Jordan with assurances that evidence from torture won't be used," said Mr Clarke.

The dispute was not unusual, he said, and he was "quite confident" the lawyers at the Home Office will sort it out.

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