The Northern Secretary has agreed to meet the father of the murdered LVF leader, Billy Wright.
In a letter to Mr David Wright, Dr John Reid said he would be happy to meet him to hear his concerns about the INLA murder of his son in the Maze Prison in 1997.
Yesterday Mr Wright said Dr Reid's decision was "significant" in his fight to discover the truth about events leading to the murder.
"For over three years I have pressed respective secretaries of state for a meeting", Mr Wright said. "Mo Mowlam and Peter Mandelson treated me with utter contempt by refusing even to consider such a meeting. Even the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, treated me with absolute disdain."