Commissioner to oversee reforms

RUC name change is disputed by some parties

A commissioner to oversee planned changes to policing in Northern Ireland is to be named later this week.

The new police bill for the province was published at Westminister on Tuesday and leaves the final decision on the name of the new police service to Secretary of State Peter Mandelson.

The issue of changing the name of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has been threatening the government's plans to restore devolution to Northern Ireland by 22 May.

We find it regrettable that the government does not seek the commission's advice on draft legislation before it is published

Brice Dickson

David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party has made retaining the RUC name a precondition to re-entering the suspended power-sharing executive and he has been trying to gain assurances from the government over the issue.

The Police (NI) Bill says that until a final decision is made on the name, it will be known as the Police Service.

But the force will continue to be known as the RUC until September 2001.

However, the bill's provision, which delay the final decision on the new title, may not be enough to reassure unionists that a return to devolved government would not spell the end of the RUC.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party is to submit its response to the bill to Mr Mandelson on Wedesday morning.

In its submission, the party outlines what it claims is the bill's "radical departure" from the changes recommended by a report on the future of policing by former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten.

Meanwhile, the head of the Human Rights Commission in the province says he will be scrutinising the bill to make sure that it strictly adheres to the human rights agenda recommended by the Patten report.

Professor Brice Dickson says he is unhappy that the commission was not consulted on the content of the bill.

He said: "We find it regrettable that the government does not seek the commission's advice on draft legislation before it is published.

"On this particular bill the commission will be anxious to ensure that the various recommendations contained in the Patten report on matters relating to the protection of human rights - which should be the key role of any police service - are fully reflected in the legislation."

The bill has eight parts and seven schedules and aims to "implement the proposals from the Independent Commission on Policing, following the completion of consultation".

The government is to make its views known on each of the proposals.

David Trimble has been seeking assurances on RUC name

The bill also says that the Northern Ireland Secretary must take into account any advice given to him by the new policing board set up under the act, when making a decision about the name for the new police service.

That 19-member board to replace the Northern Ireland Police Authority will include ten politicians from the Ulster Unionists, the Democratic Unionist Party, the SDLP and Sinn Fein and is to begin its work in April 2001.

The bill also says that "the secretary of state shall have regard to the need to secure that the membership of the police force is representative of the community in Northern Ireland".

It confirms that local councils will establish district policing partnerships to monitor local forces.

It also says there should also be a new declaration for recruits, a new code of ethics, members of the police force should register interests and the Northern Ireland Secretary should "regulate the flags and emblems of the police force".

'Major departure form Patten'

Nationalists and republicans have expressed concern that the government is delaying change for a further consultation period in order to dilute the Patten recommendations.

Chris Patten's Independent Commission on the Future of Policing consulted widely throughout the province before recommending changing the RUC name as one of a series of reforms to make the police more acceptable to all sections of the community.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams: "Dilution of Patten proposals"

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said the bill represented "a major departure from Patten".

Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowan said that "a preliminary assessment of certain aspects of the bill gave cause for concern as they carried the risk that the new service would not be successful in winning the level of cross community support that would be required to create a new beginning".

Ken Maginnis: Police Bill will need amendement

The publication of the Policing Bill followed Peter Mandelson's announcement that the government is to establish and fund an RUC George Cross Foundation, offering bursaries and scholarships to police officers, as a way of "honouring the achievements" of the force.

Mr Mandelson also wrote to the Ulster Unionists on Monday, to try to reassure them that the government did not intend to disband the RUC.

However members of David Trimble's party have said they are not reassured by the prospect of the renaming of the RUC being deferred.

Anti-agreement Democratic Unionist Party assembly member Nigel Dodds said it was very clear that Peter Mandelson had not been able to produce anything as far as guaranteeing the name of the RUC was concerned.