Government committed to devolution of policing and justice - Hain

Secretary of State Peter Hain has said that the Government is committed to devolving policing and justice to a Northern Ireland Assembly.

He was speaking after meeting Sinn Fein and the DUP with the Prime Minister in Downing Street on Thursday.

“We are committed to legislate to devolve policing and justice in Northern Ireland and we would want to see a devolved Northern Ireland Government having responsibility for justice and policing, but everybody has to buy into that, everybody, Sinn Fein included," Mr Hain said.

“No politician expecting to be a Minister in a devolved Government can really seriously entertain the responsibilities that go with Government without co-operating fully with the police. There’s a process of parliamentary timetabling for the legislation to be introduced, that will occur, and it will only be triggered when the conditions are right for it to do so”.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said the main focus for the current process was the speedy re-establishment of the political institutions.

He also said he was "quite dismissive of IMC reports" into paramilitary activity which will e released later this month and again in January.

"Let's see what the IMC report says - but until then, let's focus on the main issues," the West Belfast MP added.

DUP leader Ian Paisley, meanwhile, said he wanted "equality" for unionists, following Thursday's discussions.

"We're looking for the unionist community to be treated in exactly the same way as the republicans," he said.

The meetings followed last week's statement from the independent arms body which said all IRA weapons had now been decommissioned.

(MB/GB)