Legislation aimed at recruiting more Catholics into the North¿s police service will be introduced in the next parliamentary session at Westminster, it was claimed today.
Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan revealed after talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair that his party had been given an assurance that legislation enacting police reforms promised during last year's Weston Park talks would come before MPs soon.
The SDLP leader, whose party has been engaged in a bitter battle with Sinn Féin on policing after it became the first nationalist party in the history of the North to endorse the police, said today's discussions at Downing Street had been "very useful".
"The Prime Minister has confirmed to us that that legislation will be brought forward in the next session," Mr Durkan said.
"He made it very clear to us that neither he nor the Secretary of State have made any other commitment to any other party.
"We have said we want to see these commitments made good, we want to see that legislation tabled in full and he has indicated that will be in the next session."
Promises made by the British government at Weston Park on policing were seen as crucial in securing SDLP support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) last year.
Mr Durkan's party broke ranks from Sinn Féin by asking its supporters to join the police and by nominating three Assembly members to the province's Policing Board which holds the PSNI accountable.
Sinn Féin has refused to endorse the PSNI or take its seats on the Policing Board because it contends British government reforms do not go far enough.
PA