Mayhew issues Bill on arms scrapping

THE Northern Secretary has published a Bill which provides for the handing over of paramilitary arsenals, and an amnesty for those paramilitaries engaged in disposing of their weapons. A parallel Bill is expected to be published shortly by the Government in Dublin.

The Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Bill would be an important "confidence building measure", Sir Patrick Mayhew said yesterday. He added that the British government is keen to see it enacted as soon as possible.

"Not only would it build the confidence of those decommissioning their weapons but also the confidence of the public at large that weapons were being taken out of the political equation," he said.

The Bill reflects and gives effect to the Report of the International Body on Decommissioning. It would allow anyone who, acting in accordance with a decommissioning scheme, wished to hand in any arms or explosives to do so "without risk of prosecution for being in possession of those arms or explosives."

It would also provide that anything handed in could not be used in evidence and could not, except in certain circumstances, be forensically tested. The whole process would be overseen by an independent commission established by agreement between the British and Irish governments.