The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, met at Chequers yesterday to discuss the Stormont talks within hours of Mr Trimble's return from a visit to Washington.
The meeting took place as part of "a series of ongoing discussions" between Mr Blair and the representatives of the political parties in Northern Ireland, a Downing Street spokesman said. However, with the status of the meeting described as private, Downing Street refused to discuss the details of the discussion.