British prime minister Tony Blair has indicated an apparent willingness to disclose some information about the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the Stormont "spy ring" prosecution.
While Northern Secretary Peter Hain yesterday ruled out the possibility of a public inquiry, Mr Blair told DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley he personally thought "it would be helpful if we were able to give more information" but stressed it could only be done "if the consent of the proper authorities is given".
Mr Blair was responding to an intervention by the DUP leader during his House of Commons statement on the EU budget deal agreed at the European Council in Brussels at the weekend.
Dr Paisley spoke of a "tragic situation" developing in Northern Ireland, regretted the issue could not be debated on the floor of the Commons, and reminded Mr Blair of his promise last Wednesday to check whether any additional information could properly be made available about the decision not to proceed against the three accused "in the public interest".
Mr Blair said he was "looking carefully" at the issue to see what more if anything could be said, again adding that any disclosures would have to be "within the bounds of what is legally proper".
At the same time he repeated his assurance to the House that neither he nor the secretary of state, nor any other minister, was involved in the decision arrived at by the independent prosecuting authorities.