A move to set a five-week deadline for extremist organisations in Northern Ireland to reveal the location of the bodies of the "disappeared" failed by a narrow margin of just eight votes in the House of Lords last night.
The former Conservative leader of the Lords, Lord Cranbourne, tabled the unsuccessful amendment to the Northern Ireland (Location of Victims' Remains) Bill, losing the vote by 129 to 121. The deadline was chosen to coincide with the "absolute" deadline of June 30th for the devolution of power to the Northern Ireland Assembly set by the Prime Minister, Mr Blair.