RUC foundation announced

RUC name change issue central to peace process

The Northern Ireland Secretary has announced the creation of a foundation to "mark the sacrifices" made by the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

The government-funded RUC George Cross Foundation will offer bursaries and scholarships to police officers as a way of "honouring the achievements" of the force.

"I know how much recognition of the title means and I hope this foundation will provide one way of achieving this," Peter Mandelson said.

He said the foundation would be one of the elements of the Police Bill, containing the government's programme to reform the RUC, which is expected to go before the Commons on Tuesday.

'Speculation about delay'

The issue of change to the RUC under the Good Friday Agreement and the recommendations of the Patten report has been controversial to both unionists and republicans.

Ronnie Flanagan: Foundation will preserve name of RUC

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has been in discussions with the government to attempt to overturn the decision to change the RUC's name to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

His party has made retaining the RUC's name and insignia a precondition of re-entering the suspended power-sharing executive.

If Mr Trimble is unable to gain some concession, the government's proposals to restore devolution by 22 May and the IRA's arms offer may not be enough to persuade the Ulster Unionists to return to Stormont, when they meet to consider the issue on Saturday.

Meanwhile a nationalist assemblyman has said his party is unhappy about speculation that the government may delay changing the RUC's name.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party's Alex Attwood said: "Deferral is not the right approach, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland remains the right name.

"The SDLP repeat that the Patten report said that a new name was indispensable to a new beginning for policing and essential for balanced recruitment."

Mixed reaction to foundation

Ulster Unionist David Burnside who introduced the idea of linking political participation with retaining the RUC name to the ruling Ulster Unionist Council, said he did not think the provision of the foundation would change his party's position.

David Burnside: "RUC's name and insignia should be retained"

Although welcoming the foundation he said the UUP link "can not be changed, unless the Ulster Unionist Council changes the policy".

He added: "In my opinion it does not meet the requirement in the Belfast Agreement that the changes should command widespread community support."

Police Federation rejects move

Les Rodgers, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Federation which represents 13,000 RUC officers said: "The Foundation is no substitute for the RUC's name.

Les Rodgers: "Cosmetic gesture"

"The only recognition that we can accept is that the memory and name of the RUC is perpetuated in any new policing service.

"All other gestures, no matter how sincerely made, are cosmetic. We totally deplore the name of the RUC has been sucked into the political wheeling and dealing of Northern Ireland politics."

But RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan said the move was "significant and positive".

"I think whatever happens to the title after parliamentary debate of the police service, this will preserve in perpetuity the title which means so much to so many people.

"I think this comes about as a result of an acknowledgement of how much this means particularly to our widows. They don't want to look only to the past. They want a living preservation of the title Royal Ulster Constabulary," he said.

'Insult'

However, Sinn Fein has said change to the RUC has not gone far enough and has warned the British government not to give in to unionist demands on retaining its title.

Sinn Fein policing spokeswoman Bairbre de Brun criticised the decision to set up the foundation.

Bairbre de Brun: Move will be "difficult" to nationalists

"I made very clear at the time the George Cross was awarded that it was an insult to those who had suffered at the hands of the RUC.

"And that I didn't think the RUC should have been awarded that medal, and I think that people will find grave difficulty in the nationalist community at an extension of that."

The Queen presented the RUC with the George Cross at Hillsborough, County Down, last month.

Some hardline unionists were also sceptical of the move, which they said was aimed at attempting to soften the blow of the plans to change the RUC name.