The Police (Northern Ireland) Bill is set to clear its final hurdle in the House of Commons later today, and become law within the next fortnight.
There are indications that nationalists may soon win important new assurances on key issues of policing reform concerning the future of Special Branch and of the Full Time Reserve in an attempt to secure at least the SDLP's backing for Northern Ireland's new policing dispensation.
The passage of the Bill effecting the Patten Commission proposals for the reform of the Royal Ulster Constabulary will throw an immediate spotlight on the SDLP leadership. December 4th is the closing date for nomination of representatives from the four parties serving in the Northern Ireland Executive to the new Policing Board.
The 19-member board is due to begin its operation in "shadow" form in early January, ahead of the first wave of recruitment to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland in March.
In the Commons this afternoon the Secretary of State, Mr Peter Mandelson, is expected to repeat previous assurances that, having "incorporated" reference to the RUC in the so-called "title deeds" of the Bill, the new title, Police Service of Northern Ireland, is the only one which may be used where the service interfaces with members of the public.
Mr Mandelson is also certain to repeat his view that agreement between the parties on flags and emblems for the new service would be preferable to any decision taken solely by him, while underlining the "cross-community consent" principle which would inform any decision, should it fall to him.
In a newspaper article last week, Mr Mandelson insisted he would "not impose a design which would be offensive to or deter recruitment from one side of the community or the other".
Senior SDLP figures are unhappy with the idea that they should take this "on trust" to mean Mr Mandelson would in all circumstances reject any unionist design including, for example, the crown.
And while the Bill as it now stands says the service shall be known by the new title "for all operational purposes", Dublin and the SDLP have been pressing Mr Mandelson to indicate what "non-operational purposes", if any, might give continuing life to the RUC title.
The senior Labour backbencher and former Northern Ireland spokesman, Mr Kevin McNamara, has tabled a series of amendments in response to changes made during the Bill's passage in the Lords.
These concern human rights training and standards for the new service, registration of Orange Order membership by members of the service, and the investigative powers of the Police Ombudsman and the Policing Board.
However, British government sources last night indicated they would be resisting Mr McNamara's amendments which, if successful, would require reference back to the Lords and so delay the completion of the legislative process.
Mr Mandelson will urge all sides to step back and reflect on the Bill in its final form. However, the SDLP is likely to postpone a decision on whether to nominate members to the new Policing Board at least until it sees the new "Implementation Plan", now expected to be published in mid-December, and possibly for some time after that.