The Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, said "substantive" moves by the IRA on decommissioning were required before the British government could act on policing and demilitarisation.
Speaking after Thursday's all day talks at Hillsborough, Dr Reid said the British government was prepared to scale down security if there was evidence of a substantive IRA reengagement with Gen de Chastelain's decommissioning body.
A mere statement or phonecall to the general's office would be insufficient for such action to follow immediately, however.
"Of course, a phone-call is a start to that process, and is to be welcomed," he told BBC Radio Ulster, "but it isn't a substantial re-engagement, and we will have to wait and see what happens." Dr Reid said the Hillsborough talks had been a worthwhile exercise in which some progress had been made. The parties had mapped out a way to take a larger step forward in the coming weeks and months.
The British government, meanwhile, denied it was planning to allow republicans on the run to come back to Northern Ireland in return for progress on decommissioning.
While this could be a natural development of the early release scheme under the Belfast Agreement, it would be too simplistic to assume that prosecutions would be dropped, a Northern Ireland Office spokesman said.
The DUP yesterday accused the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, of having made a deal and said reports of progress made in Hillsborough were of "great significance".
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said it was clear from the reports that the basis of a deal had been done.
"There have been more concessions from Mr Trimble, but he does not want it to emerge before the [general] election. That is why they are talking about reaching agreement in June.
"But let's look at what's on offer. The IRA is saying it is prepared to talk to the decommissioning body while David Trimble makes the real concessions of accepting the destruction of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and allowing demilitarisation," Mr Robinson claimed.
While noting the positive developments achieved at Hills borough, the Alliance Party leader, Mr Sean Neeson, said the momentum now needed to be maintained.
There was a danger of stalling the process on account of the election, he added.
Meanwhile, the UUP deputy leader, Mr John Taylor, has accused the SDLP of being out of step with the Catholic community on policing.
"In recent days it has been most encouraging that large numbers of Roman Catholics have ignored the advice of the SDLP and Sinn Fein and have applied to join the Northern Ireland Police Service," he told pupils at Sullivan Upper Grammar School in his North Down constituency. The SDLP said it did not immediately want to respond to Mr Taylor's remarks.
Supporters of the dissident Ulster Unionist MLA, Mr Peter Weir, have put in a request with party officers to debate his suspension at a special meeting of the party's 860-strong ruling council. Mr Weir was suspended by party officers for his voting record in the Assembly several weeks ago. His suspension means he might not be allowed to go forward as the party's candidate in North Down in the forthcoming general election. The petition was signed by 133 party members.