The Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, has again stated that there is no threat to the IRA ceasefire. He also met the acting police chief constable, Mr Colin Cramphorn, yesterday evening to express concern about security leaks he fears may be designed to damage the political process.
Dr Reid gave his current assessment on the IRA cessation after the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, tabled an Assembly motion calling for clarification from the Northern Secretary on the status of the ceasefire.
"We assess that there is no imminent threat to the ceasefire," said Dr Reid, who also hinted that he is increasingly alarmed by a series of security leaks relating to issues such as the Castlereagh break-in and the discovery of an IRA intelligence list on Tory politicians.
"I and the government will not rush to judgment on the basis of what is in some cases speculation formed by leaks which are either in some cases misinformed or perhaps mischievous," said Dr Reid.
London sources fear that the leaks may be emanating primarily from the PSNI. It is understood that Dr Reid yesterday raised these concerns with Mr Cramphorn, acting head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, also claimed there was a security agenda operating to damage Sinn Féin and the political process. "Those who have seized upon leaks, stories, rumours, lies, untruths are giving ample evidence that they want this peace process to come down," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Trimble warned that the political process was being destabilised by the continuation of paramilitary activity and that Sinn Féin and the IRA had many questions to answer.
"We had an announcement a few weeks ago about an act of decommissioning. The practical effect of that has been totally dissipated and destroyed by the other paramilitary activities that are going on," he said.
"It must be obvious to Mr Adams and Mr \ McGuinness that it is hugely in their interests, if they want to convince people that their project is a purely political one, for them now to close down paramilitary activity and to ensure that they move rapidly to disband the IRA," added Mr Trimble.
Meanwhile, the Assembly's business committee at its weekly meeting today will decide whether one or both motions relating to the IRA ceasefire tabled by the DUP and UUP will be discussed in the Assembly.
The DUP proposal seeks to exclude Sinn Féin ministers Mr Martin McGuinness and Ms Bairbre de Brún from the executive, while the Ulster Unionist motion calls on the Northern Secretary, Dr Reid, to determine the status of the IRA ceasefire.
The SDLP in a guarded reaction said it would oppose the DUP proposal but saw "no reason to oppose" Mr Trimble's motion. But party MLA Mr Eamon O'Neill questioned whether the Ulster Unionist proposal was appropriate, "given that parties can make their views on this clear directly to the Secretary of State".
"This is a motion which is capable of gathering broad support in the Assembly," said Mr Trimble. He portrayed the DUP motion as a "knee-jerk reaction" in pursuit of a "headline".
Mr Maurice Morrow, the DUP chief whip, countered that the UUP should support his party's motion because "IRA/Sinn Féin are engaged in murdering, bombing, weapons procurement and intelligence-gathering by night while sitting at the heart of government by day".
