Clause 17, which would have allowed the Secretary of State to intervene at a future date to ramp up measures against online pirates, had been getting a rough ride during the Committee stage of the Bill.

And in the second day of report stage yesterday, Liberal Democrat Lord Clement-Jones and others pressed for Amendment 120A to replace the controversial clause, which the Government had hoped would "future proof" against non-P2P measures.

The new amendment allows network level blocking and, according ...