Government publishes arms scheme

The IRA has agreed on a method for decommissioning

Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid has signed an order to allow for a new arms decommissioning scheme.

The move comes after the International Independent Decommissioning Commission reported on Monday that the IRA had agreed a method for decommissioning its weapons.

The head of the commission Canadian General John de Chastelain could not say when the IRA intended to start decommissioning.

But he said the republicans' latest proposal initiated a "process that will put IRA arms completely and verifiably beyond use".

Ulster Unionist dissatisfaction with progress on paramilitary arms decommissioning is one of the main sources of the impasse in the Northern Ireland political process.

General de Chastelain: "Additional scheme will assist with body's remit"

It is addressed in the British and Irish Governments' package of proposals to maintain the province's powersharing arrangements, along with statements on policing, demilitarisation and the stability of the institutions, which are currently bring considered by the parties.

On Tuesday, Dr Reid said the arms body had told the British and Irish Governments that "it would be helpful if there were to be a scheme to meet the general situation in which arms are made permanently inaccessible or permanently unusable, and therefore put completely beyond use".

'Legal requirement'

The arms body's report on Monday did not say what method had been agreed by the IRA on decommissioning.

Similarly, Dr Reid did not reveal the scheme's proposed method for putting weapons beyond use.

But Dr Reid said General de Chastelain had confirmed the scheme would "be consistent with the basic legal requirements of the 1997 Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act".

John Reid signed order for decommissioning scheme

The head of the arms decommissioning body had also said the scheme would offer the commission "greater scope to proceed in more effective and satisfactory ways with the discharge of its basic mandate".

The Northern Ireland secretary said he had, therefore, signed the necessary order to agree the scheme.

The new scheme had become be valid on 3 August 2001, Dr Reid said.

The period during which arms can be dealt with in accordance with the additional scheme would end on 26 February 2002, he added.

He said he understood that the Irish Government had made similar regulations, which will be laid before the Dail on Wednesday.

Under the scheme, the arms body must be given advance notice of any intention to make arms permanently inaccessible or permanently unusable, before any other act leading to decommissioning is undertaken.

Decommissioning under the scheme may only begin if the commission is satisfied that the notice is given on behalf of the organisation.

It must also contain "sufficient information to indicate a clear intention to make specified arms permanently inaccessible and permanently unusable".