Mo Mowlam: decommissioning on the way

Mo Mowlam said initiatives for decommissioning terrorist weapons would soon be under way.

In a House of Commons statement, Ms Mowlam said the vote for the agreement amounted to an "emphatic endorsement" for the peace process "from all sections of the community".

She then warned those opposing the agreement that to seek to frustrate the will of the people would "fly in the face of democracy".

Decomissioning

After urging people to turn out to vote in the Assembly elections on June 25, the Secretary of State then set out the timetable for the changes ahead.

Ms Mowlam said both the British and Irish Governments would bring into force "very soon" schemes under the 1996 Northern Ireland (Decommissioning) Act.

"There will then be no practical barrier to a start to decommissioning," she said.

"We look to all parties to honour the commitment they made to use any influence they may have to achieve the decommissioning of all paramilitary arms within two years."

Prisoners

On the release of prisoners, she said a Bill would shortly be introduced to implement the provisions of the agreement with the aim of getting it on the statute book by the end of the month.

She promised it would include "safeguards" on the agreement and stressed: "The agreement is to be implemented in all its parts - not to be cherry-picked."

A final Bill implementing the remainder of the agreement will be brought forward later in the parliamentary session with the aim of transferring powers to the new Assembly and setting up the North/South Ministerial Council early next year.