The Northern Ireland Secretary has acknowledged the British government wants to resolve the issue of "on-the-run" IRA members.
But in an interview with the BBC, Dr John Reid said the issue was not related to the latest move on decommissioning by the IRA, which was announced yesterday. "There has been no secret deal or trade-off here".
Dr Reid said: "It is no secret that we want to deal with the issue of those prisoners who have been on the run. . . . But it is a difficult one, we have to think of the victims, we have to think of the non-Republicans who can't come back because of the threat from the paramilitaries.
He said there was a long way to go in the Northern Ireland peace process and that reform of policing and the issue of Loyalists paramilitaries would have to be addressed.
Dr Reid said: "I want to see the British troop level diminish further as well. We want to see the reforms of institutions going ahead".