There would be "many potential problems" with setting up a public inquiry into the death of the solicitor Mr Pat Finucane while the police investigation was still under way, the Northern Secretary said yesterday.
Responding to calls from the Law Society of Northern Ireland for independent investigations into the death of Mr Finucane and the killing of Ms Rosemary Nelson in March, Dr Mowlam said the British government was determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a letter to the chief executive of the Law Society, Mr John Bailey, the Northern Secretary said: "There have also been certain allegations made against the security forces in relation to the murders; likewise, I am determined to ensure that all the allegations are fully and fairly investigated."
The fact that a police investigation was under way into the Finucane murder did not mean the British government had "closed its mind on what, if any, additional action is necessary".