Mandelson to decide NI police name

RUC name change is disputed by some parties

The Northern Ireland Secretary will make the final decision on the title of the province's new police service, the government is expected to announce.

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.

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 that it would not be changed.

The Northern Ireland Police Bill's provision, potentially delaying the final decision on the new new title, could be enough to reassure unionists that a return to government would not spell the end of the RUC.

The Bill, to be published on Tuesday, outlines the planned implementation of the Patten proposals on RUC reform.

David Trimble has been seeking assurances on RUC name

It is also expected to say that the Northern Ireland Secretary will make the decision about the name for the new police service in consultation with the new policing board.

That 19-member board will include ten politicians from the Ulster Unionists, the Democratic Unionist Party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party and Sinn Fein and is to begin its work in April 2001.

The Bill is also expected to say 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".

Alex Attwood: Decision should not be deferred

Sources have told the BBC it is unlikely that the initials RUC will be part of the working title of the new police service.

However, a nationalist assemblyman has said his party is unhappy that the government may delay the decision on the new police service's title for a period of further consultation.

The Patten Commission on the Future of Policing in Northern Ireland 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.

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."

The publication of the Policing Bill will follow Peter Mandelson's announcement on Monday that the government intends 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 said the foundation would acknowledge the sacrifice of the RUC and would be in "recognition of what the title means" to its members, former members and widows.