The Ulster Defence Association has reopened its engagement with Gen John de Chastelain's International Decommissioning Commission, the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, has told MPs. Frank Millar, London Editor, reports.
Mr Murphy said his judgment "made in the round" was that the UDA's ceasefire "is now holding and is genuine". The Secretary of State assured the House of Commons that "the UDA remains a proscribed organisation and the police will pursue relentlessly any criminal activity undertaken by its members or those of any other group".
Mr Murphy gave that assurance in a Commons statement yesterday explaining his decision to lay an Order before the House to "despecify" the UDA, as required under the legislation which originally specified those paramilitary organisations entitled to benefit from the early prisoner release scheme established as part of the Belfast Agreement.
MPs on all sides gave the decision, and Sunday's statement by the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG) on behalf of the UDA, a cautious welcome.
However Labour MP Mr Tony Clarke urged Mr Murphy to seek regular reports from the Police Service of Northern Ireland to ensure that the UDA ceased racketeering and other criminal activities, including race crimes.
And his colleague Ms Helen Jackson similarly welcomed the UDA's proposed return to the political process, while telling Mr Murphy that such organisations should in turn be working with the police service on issues like crime and drugs. From the Conservative benches Mr Peter Bottomley said Mr David Adams (formerly a member of the UPRG) and his wife had received threats just last Thursday and urged the Secretary of State to make clear to the UDA that the intimidation of Mr Adams and his family must stop. Mr Murphy said he had already done so.
DUP MP Mr Nigel Dodds said all paramilitary organisations were engaged in similar activities to those listed by other MPs, which underlined the need to see commitments to peaceful and democratic means "tested over time". Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble welcomed the latest developments while noting the UDA's stated need for reassurance that "current political efforts are for real".
The Conservative shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Mr David Lidington, urged Mr Murphy to confirm "there can no longer be room for fudge or compromises" on the need for paramilitary acts of completion.
Mr Murphy said the government's discussions with the UDA were "not part of any choreography or sequence" and had been conducted "in parallel" to the ongoing political process which is expected to move into a new stage tomorrow with the parties receiving "final" British/Irish terms for "acts of completion" enabling the appointment of a new power sharing Executive by next spring.
Senior DUP sources maintained last night that the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has so far been unable to provide them with the necessary "clarity and certainty" about the IRA's intentions, and again confirmed they would not envisage the devolution of policing powers during the life of the present Northern Ireland Assembly.