Davies meets loyalist paramilitaries

UDA's ceasefire was declared over last year

Conservative Northern Ireland spokesman Quentin Davies has held talks with an umbrella organisation for the province's loyalist paramilitary groups.

The meeting between Mr Davies and members of the self-styled Loyalist Commission took place in Belfast on Tuesday afternoon.

According to loyalist sources, members of the three main paramilitary organisations - the Ulster Defence Association, Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando were present.

Quentin Davies discussed arms and exiles with loyalists

It is understood the meeting lasted about two and a half hours.

It covered a wide range of topics including the issue of loyalist weapons decommissioning.

None of the main loyalist paramilitary organisations have started to disarm since the first IRA arms were decommissioned last year.

Mr Davies also raised his wishes that people exiled by the paramilitary organisations should be allowed to return to Northern Ireland.

The shadow Northern Ireland spokesman also wanted to hear the loyalist views on why their community felt alienated from the peace process.

Afterwards, Mr Davies said the talks were "positive".

"It is very important that I meet with all shades of opinion in Northern Ireland and of course it is very important that I am in touch with the views of the loyalist paramilitaries," he said.

"The peace process is all about bringing people together who have been involved in violent dispute and if I don't meet with the whole range of people I can't fully understand what is going on or contribute to the success of the process."

Proscribed organisation

The meeting included members of the UDA, which was last October declared a proscribed organisation by the government.

Both the UDA and Loyalist Volunteer Force ceasefires were declared invalid by Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid following a sustained campaign of pipe bombings and rioting in north Belfast and the murder of investigative journalist Martin O'Hagan.

However, some of Northern Ireland's main political parties have also recently been in contact with the paramilitary groups.

In the summer of 2001 Ulster Unionist South Antrim MP David Burnside and the party's north Belfast assembly member Fred Cobain met the UDA to discuss the possibility of arms decommissioning.

And last December SDLP members in Londonderry met UDA representatives to try to get threats against Catholic workers lifted.