THE SDLP candidate for South Belfast, Dr Alasdair McDonnell, has called for the immediate publication of the Maurice Hayes report into breaches by the Northern Ireland Minister, Baroness Denton, of fair employment legislation, for which she is responsible.
"Any report relating to the Denton affair should be released in order that its recommendations can be implemented before the change-over in government and the local Northern Ireland administration", said Dr McDonnell.
The Northern Ireland Office said it had not yet received a copy of the report, but expect to do so within the next few days.
Meanwhile, electioneering continued yesterday with the publishing of the DUP's manifesto on prison issues.
The document focuses on its concerns over the lack of security at the Maze Prison. It says the inquiry into prison policy which followed the discovery of a tunnel dug by IRA prisoners was inadequate.
Dr McDonnell outlined his 15-month strategy for regeneration of South Belfast to "combat IS years of Martin Smyth's neglect".
"I will undertake a programme of regeneration in South Belfast built upon the three foundation stones of employment, health and education," he said.
Meanwhile, outgoing West Belfast MP Dr Joe Hendron of the SDLP yesterday met the strikers at the Montupet plant in Belfast. He said he had written to the management urging it to be flexible in its approach to resolving the dispute.
Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams called for real talks at the factory. He has written to the company and to the CBI in an effort to break the deadlock.
DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said he had recently met Mr Per Nielsen, of Harland and Wolff, to discuss its order book and the level of outside contract labour used at the Belfast shipyard.
Mr Robinson said he had received many complaints from constituents about hundreds of people being brought from Britain to work on shipyard contracts, doing work which they felt could have been done by local labour.