The North's Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, yesterday repeated his suspicions over whether Mr John Taylor was issued with assurances from the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, about the RUC title.
Mr Taylor, the Ulster Unionist Party MP for Strangford, told Ulster Unionist Council delegates on Saturday he had received a letter from Mr Mandelson containing concessions on the RUC title and flags. He said Mr Mandelson has indicated that the RUC name will be in the "title deeds" of the new service but Mr Mallon said the Northern Secretary "hasn't bothered to explain that to anyone yet".
Mr Taylor has refused to disclose the contents of his letter, insisting that it is confidential.
Earlier Dr Sean Farren, the Minister of Higher and Further Education, set the pace on the first day of the restored Northern Ireland Executive when he announced a £5.5 million package of special initiatives for further education colleges.
The Minister of Environment, Mr Sam Foster of the UUP, said he was "particularly pleased" that a waste management strategy he had worked on had been published.
Visiting his offices, Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein said he looked forward to continuing the work that had begun during his last period in office as Minister of Education. He said he would be attending to issues such as the 11-plus selection procedure and the North's stock of school buildings.
Ms Bairbre de Brun, the Sinn Fein Minister of Health, held a series of meetings with advisers and staff. She said she would be addressing issues such as hospital provision, waiting lists and ambulance services.
Mr Michael McGimpsey, the UUP's Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure said that he intended to follow up on the introduction of an interim scheme for the improvement of health and safety at sports grounds as well as taking forward a strategic review of the arts in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, Mr Cedric Wilson, leader of the Northern Ireland Unionist Party, is seeking to table a motion at Monday's Assembly meeting to exclude Sinn Fein from holding ministerial positions.
Mr Wilson needs 30 signatories to put forward this motion, but at present there are only 29 anti-agreement unionists who might endorse the proposal, including Mr Peter Weir, who has lost the UUP whip. Mr Wilson said he was confident that at least one more member of the Ulster Unionist Party would defect to the No camp and sign the motion.