At a Stormont cabinet meeting on August 20th, 1971 to discuss the security situation, Mr John Taylor, the minister of state at home affairs suggested that, in view of criticism that the application of detention was one-sided, it might be made known that one or two Protestants were among those "arrested for suspected IRA activities".
At the same meeting the minister of agriculture, Mr Harry West, felt the continued situation under which the RUC refrained from action pending the intervention of the Army was unsatisfactory.
He asked if the RUC's former status could not be restored. The prime minister, Mr Faulkner, pointed out that, in general, there could be no change until the IRA campaign ended.