THE chairman of the Northern Ireland Forum told yesterday's session that Sir Patrick Mayhew had not yet made a decision on the future of the body. This follows the Northern Secretary's announcement this week that the talks would be adjourned until June 3rd.
Mr John Gorman said that because of the parliamentary timetable, the forum will probably be wound up the week after next, which means there will most likely be one more meeting. The future of the forum will be reviewed in May when the Secretary of State will decide if it is to run for another year.
The chairman had told Sir Patrick the body would voluntarily suspend its plenary sessions once an election was called, but would continue working in its committees.
The Democratic Unionist Party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, had made it clear if there was no forum there would be no talks.