The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, may meet IRA prisoners as well as loyalists when she visits the Maze Prison this morning. There were cautious hopes last night that her unprecedented initiative in agreeing to meet UDA inmates would prevent the collapse of both the loyalist ceasefire and the Stormont talks.
The governor of the Maze, Mr Martin Mogg, said: "It's a brave decision. She wants the peace process to succeed and needs all the help she can get."
Dr Mowlam will also meet prisoners from the other main loyalist organisation, the Ulster Volunteer Force. The Progressive Unionist Party, political wing of the UVF, is expected to reconvene a meeting of its executive on Sunday to discuss the talks.
As arrangements for the visit were going ahead, the RUC arrested four men in the loyalist Shankill Road area for questioning about the murder of the Catholic man, Edmund Treanor, who died in a gun attack on a Belfast bar on Christmas Eve.
Political and public opinion in Northern Ireland was divided on the wisdom of Dr Mowlam's visit. The dissident Ulster Unionist MP, Mr William Ross, condemned the decision and also criticised his own leader, Mr David Trimble, for meeting prisoners earlier in the week.
But Mr John White of the Ulster Democratic Party, political wing of the UDA, said the prisoners would be "instrumental in creating a climate in which we can have permanent peace in Northern Ireland."
Last weekend UDA/UFF prisoners voted to withhold support from the peace process. Mr White, who will accompany Dr Mowlam, said: "We will be doing all in our power to get the prisoners to reassess the situation and hopefully change their minds."
The UDA group she is due to meet includes prominent loyalists such as Johnny Adair from the Shankill area of Belfast, who is serving 16 years for directing terrorism, and Michael Stone, who was convicted of the gun attack on three mourners who were killed during a republican funeral in Belfast's Milltown Cemetery in 1988.
In a unique gesture from the authorities, journalists were given access to the prisoners yesterday.
Adair told reporters: "I am glad she is coming. Hopefully we will work something out." Stone said: "We will be there to listen, not negotiate. But it is brave of her to come."
The Northern Secretary has made clear that progress towards the early release of prisoners will have to be made through the Stormont talks. She is expected to repeat that message when she visits the Maze today.
She received backing from the Women's Coalition, which praised her "commitment, determination and courage." However, Mr Sammy Wilson of the Democratic Unionist Party accused Dr Mowlam of "pathetic knee-bending." He hoped the prisoners would "show her the door."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, said last night that he looked forward to a "more active role" for the confidence-building sub-committee of the talks, which deals with the issue of prisoners. He also anticipated the participation of Irish and British Ministers in future meetings.
Loyalists had complained that the role of the sub-committee was downgraded.
The Belfast-based group, Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT), said the meeting with UDA/UFF prisoners was "totally insensitive to the families of the victims of loyalist violence.
"Is she not aware of continued beatings, shootings and other forms of intimidation that are still being committed by the UDA/UFF? Those who have the power to kill have a louder voice than those who have suffered as victims."