A lawyer for a witness called to give evidence to the inquiry said yesterday that his client had concerns about a proposal to introduce material from security files in relation to some potential witnesses.
Mr Sean Doran, barrister, said that his client, Mr Sean Collins, fell within a "broad group of potential witnesses who may be affected by the issue of disclosure of intelligence information".
The chairman, Lord Saville, said that, as he understood it, the concern of a number of witnesses was that "they do not want to come along and give evidence and then suddenly have a lot of what may doubtless be regarded as scurrilous allegations made in public against them".
He said he had no idea whether there was any such material relating to Mr Collins, but he "would have thought it most unlikely, since he was 10 years old on January 30th, 1972".
However, the chairman said he understood the concern of witnesses. There was no question of anyone being suddenly faced with any material of this kind. If - "and it is a very big `if' indeed" - there was any such material, witnesses would be properly protected. They would be given advance notice and a proper opportunity to challenge any ruling the tribunal might make.
The tribunal agreed to postpone Mr Collins's evidence.
Meanwhile, it has set aside tomorrow to hear submissions from all parties on the suggestion that summaries of intelligence files and information on some witnesses should be supplied to the tribunal and made admissible in the inquiry.
Lawyers for the families of Bloody Sunday victims indicated later yesterday that they will strenuously oppose this proposal.