After mounting criticism from Protestant and Catholic organisations and MPs, the British government has withdrawn a list of registerable associations that must be declared by members of the new police service for Northern Ireland.
Removing the list of specified organisations, which included Opus Dei and the Orange Order, from the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill at committee stage in the House of Lords yesterday, Lord Falconer said the government now wanted to provide a mechanism for "disclosure" rather than a definitive list. It has decided instead to make a generic reference to notifiable organisations in the Bill.
The Bill will now go to report stage and third reading in the Lords before returning to the Commons towards the middle of next month.
