Northern Ireland's new £150 million integrated police, fire and prison officer training college has been given UK Treasury approval, it was revealed today.
Shaun Woodward confirmed the state of the art academy, which will be based in Cookstown, would get the go-ahead after Chancellor Alistair Darling allocated £1.2 billion in funds for criminal justice and policing in Northern Ireland in his Pre-Budget Report.
Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward
The Northern Ireland Secretary also claimed the funding would enable the upgrading of facilities used by the Forensic Science Agency to go ahead.
He said: "This settlement means that we can deliver on the much-needed integrated training college for the police, prisons staff and the fire and rescue services. "It also means that we can move ahead with important new prison accommodation and upgrading the facilities of the Forensic Science Agency.
"This settlement puts the Police Service of Northern Ireland and criminal justice system on a sustainable footing for the years ahead. This should be reassuring to the Executive as it continues its preparations for the devolution of justice and policing."
The idea of a policing college was originally floated in the Patten Commission's report on police reform in Northern Ireland. However when it became apparent that funding would not be available for a police college, Mr Woodward's predecessor Peter Hain proposed in February sharing the facilities between the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Prison Service and the Fire and Rescue Service.
But plans are already years behind schedule and it is believed it could be the end of next year at the earliest - once tendering is complete - before the first brick is laid. With the first batch of trainees not moving in before 2010.