LONDON - The last four Britons held at Guantanamo Bay will be released within weeks and turned over to British authorities, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told lawmakers today.

Also today, Australia said one of its citizens will be released from Guantanamo without charge even though the United States believes he knew of plans for the Sept. 11 attacks, Australia's attorney general said.

The decision concerning the Britons follows months of negotiations between Washington and London and a direct appeal by Prime Minister Tony Blair to President Bush.

Straw told the House of Commons that British authorities would take "every practical step ... to maintain national security and protect public safety" upon the men's return.

"Once they are back in the U.K., the police will consider whether to arrest them under the Terrorism Act 2000 for questioning in connection with possible terrorist activity. Any subsequent action will be a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service."

Britain has sought for months to secure the return of the four men: Moazzam Begg, Feroz Abbasi, Martin Mubanga and Richard Belmar.

They are among 550 prisoners from 42 countries being held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba after being detained during the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.

Five other Britons, detained in Afghanistan late in 2001, were released from Guantanamo in March and were not charged with any offense upon their return to Britain. Four of them have filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court seeking $10 million each in damages.

Some legal experts doubt there will be enough evidence to try any of the returnees because information gleaned during interrogations at Guantanamo would be inadmissible in court.

The British government spent months negotiating the men's release with U.S. officials and stated repeatedly that the proposed military tribunal that would consider the cases of Begg and Abbasi did not meet international standards of justice.