The British government has indicated that a decision on the release of two Scots Guards serving life sentences for shooting a Belfast teenager, Peter McBride, may be "accelerated" by the signing of the Northern Ireland Agreement.
The move came in the House of Lords yesterday when the junior Northern Ireland minister, Lord Dubs, said a decision on the future of Mark Wright and Jim Fisher "will not be delayed as a result of the peace process - indeed, it may be accelerated".
Lord Dubs said that a review body would be set up under legislation that should be passed by the end of June to look at the cases of those convicted of scheduled offences, including that of Fisher and Wright. The life sentence review body would also look at their cases again in October.
Earlier, in the Commons, the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, came under criticism from the Labour MP Mr Tam Dalyell and the Conservative MP Mr Crispin Blunt, who pointed out that the men did not qualify for the early release granted to other prisoners under the terms of the Northern Ireland Agreement.
Dr Mowlam said: "We have made it clear that it is difficult for me to say a lot because I have a semi-judicial role in this decision."