'Barrier' To Single Three-Nation Department Lifting?

A barrier to a merger of the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Office was removed yesterday as Downing Street promised to hand policing powers to Belfast "in the next few days".

The idea of a single Whitehall department dealing with the three nations was first presented by aides to then-PM Tony Blair as far back as 2001.

But the plan has always foundered over delays in the Northern Ireland peace process – particularly rows over whether the police should be under Belfast or London control.

Earlier this week, an independent report concluded the IRA's 'army council' had effectively ceased to exist, fulfilling a key demand of the Democratic Unionist Party, the largest political group in Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday: "In the next few days, I will use all my efforts, working with the parties in Northern Ireland, to make sure that the devolution of policing and justice can go ahead and the final stages of the peace process will now be completed, to the better government of Northern Ireland and to the peace and prosperity of the people there."

However, the aspiration may be hard to conclude, given continued unionist opposition to involving the terror-related political party, Sinn Fein in matters of justice and the application of policing in Northern Ireland.

See: Pressure On DUP As IMC Says IRA "No Longer Operates"

(BMcC/KMcA)