Hume urges members to work together for new society

Assembly members must do everything in their power to ensure that the government of Northern Ireland was brought as close to the people as possible, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said.

He appealed to all parties to come quickly to agreement on the outstanding issues, such as the formation of an executive, the ministerial portfolios and who should hold them, the creation of a civic forum, the North-South Council and the British-Irish Council.

Speedy agreement was required so that the Assembly could start the work of government. "Because if we don't get down to that, as some indications have already shown, what this Assembly will become is not just a talking shop about our past but a shouting shop about our past, drawing up that past that we all want to leave behind us," Mr Hume said.

"We must implement democratic institutions which will allow all sections of our people to work together, with respect for one another, and to build a completely new society." The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, said Mr Mallon and Mr Trimble were divided on how many members should be in the executive. How could there be a common objective when there was such disagreement? Neither Mr Trimble nor Mr Mallon, in their joint report to the Assembly, had put down any concrete proposals on issues such as the executive and the North-South Council. If there was no executive in place by the end of October would Mr Trimble and Mr Mallon represent the Northern dimension of the North-South Council?, he asked.

He said Mr Trimble should "come clean" on these matters. The First and Deputy First Minister said they were going to engage in further consultation before putting down clear proposals, but that was unsatisfactory. "They have to make up their minds, and they have then to declare what they intend to do, because it all rests with them."

Dr Paisley said he was opposed to the civic forum which would be a "monster quango . . . I don't believe we need another Assembly". Dr Paisley said the main question that Mr Trimble must answer was whether he was prepared to sit on an executive with "Sinn Fein/IRA".

Mr Reg Empey (UUP) said in creating ministries members must be conscious of the costs involved. Referring to calls for 10 ministries - which the UUP opposes - to be established, Mr Empey said the Assembly must not decide the number of portfolios "purely on a snout in the trough basis".

It would cost between £500,000 and £14 million to create a new department.

The session was adjourned at 6 p.m. and will resume this morning at 10.30 a.m. for an adjournment debate on the Omagh bombing. Many tributes were paid yesterday to Mr David Trimble and Mr Seamus Mallon for the way they had co-operated closely in the aftermath of the bombing in which 28 people were killed.