THE Northern Ireland Secretary announced an independent preview of marches yesterday but denied that ministers or the RUC had "surrendered" to Orangemen by allowing them to march down Garvaghy Road after four days of rioting.
Questions in the House of Commons on Northern Ireland were dominated by the events in Portadown. Sir Patrick said he hoped the review might issue guidelines for future marches.
After praising the RUC for its professionalism and condemning the rioters, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, stressed that the situation also needed political leadership and initiative.
"We welcome Sir Patrick's announcement of an early review of the issue, including how an independent eye could be cast over the situation. We want to know, does this mean that an independent commission will be urgently established?" she asked.
As several unionist politicians jeered, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, described yesterday's decision as "disgraceful" and angrily suggested the RUC had surrendered.
"In the last four days there have been widespread intimidation and attacks on people's homes, business and churches. Given all that, can you explain the disgraceful decision taken today to surrender to the people who have been engaged in that activity over the past four days?"
He asked Sir Patrick "whether you or your government had any role in that surrender or in that change of opinion?"
Dismissing the suggestion of surrender, Sir Patrick insisted the decision to allow the march was an "operational matter" and stressed that the British government had not exerted "political pressure of any kind" on the RUC Chief Constable.
But UUP MP Mr Ken Maginnis claimed Sir Hugh Annesley's "inability to consult and liaise" had led to the "futile" impasse over the march and accused Sinn Fein activists of causing the stalemate.
To unionist jeers, Mr Hugh Dykes, a Tory MP, said many Catholics had been "alienated" by the violent actions of the Protestant community.
"Some of these Catholic households in the areas surrounding the march stand off were intimidated by Protestant thugs involved in these marches and on the fringes of these marches. This has got to stop in Northern Ireland before there is real peace", he said.
In reply, Sir Patrick stated. "Recent violence has not been on one side only. There are RUC officers who also have been driven from their homes."
During earlier exchanges, Sir Patrick said the British government was "absolutely determined that Northern Ireland should not slip into the abyss of sectarian violence".
The following is the full text of Sir Patrick Mayhew's statement
"I entirely support the further operational decision which the Chief Constable has made, which I know was informed by a wide range of contacts and discussions, including the valuable contribution made by the four church leaders.
"It is self evidently right for police decisions to take account of changing and developing circumstances. The violence which has disfigured the province has to stop.
"The events of the last few days have exposed how divisive the issue of marches and street parades can be in our society. There is no simple and easy way to solve this problem. But neither can there by any question of ignoring it.
"The government agrees with the church leaders that the long term solution and the immediate problems cannot be separated and, for its part, will be considering urgently over the next few days what steps need to be taken to avoid in future years the conflict and the dangers we have witnessed this month."