Sinn Fein has accused the Northern Secretary of turning a blind eye to ongoing loyalist violence in the North.
The party's chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, claimed loyalist cessations had broken down "across the board" with the UDA linked to over 200 gun and bomb attacks. He said reports implicating the UVF in an attempted car-bombing in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, were worrying.
Mr McLaughlin accused Dr John Reid and the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, of providing "political cover" for loyalists by merely threatening to review the ceasefires. "There is a blind-eye policy from the NIO," Mr McLaughlin claimed.
"If it was the IRA that were involved in 200 gun attacks or bomb attacks they would be jumping off the skyscrapers in indignation about it."
Mr Gerry Kelly, a Sinn Fein representative for North Belfast, said his party intended to ask the Police Ombudsman to investigate why the RUC was staging arrests in Ardoyne while loyalist violence continued.
A total of 12 arrests were made in Ardoyne this week in connection with serious clashes between local youths and police on July 12th.
Meanwhile, Mr Alex Attwood of the SDLP has stressed that the abolition of plastic bullets remains an urgent goal for the party. He said SDLP representatives on the board would seek their immediate withdrawal.
"If you argue that full implementation of Patten is required for a new beginning to policing, then you have to recognise that Patten did not call for immediate withdrawal of the use of those bullets," Mr Attwood said.
The SDLP became the first party to sign up to the new policing arrangements last week. Sinn Fein has announced its opposition to the revised blueprint for the new police service and demanded further concessions.