Hain announces Policing Board line-up

Secretary of State Peter Hain has today announced the new line-up for the 19-member Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Speaking earlier today, the Secretary of State said: “The Northern Ireland Policing Board has been one of the success stories of the Agreement.

“By holding the Chief Constable and police service to account, it has played a crucial role ensuring that the PSNI is effective, efficient and responsive to the needs of the community.

“This newly reconstituted Board will undoubtedly build on the good work of its predecessor.”

The Board's political membership will be Ian Paisley Jnr, William Hay, Arlene Foster and Peter Weir from the DUP, Fred Cobain and Danny Kennedy from the UUP. Alex Attwood and Dolores Kelly from the SDLP.

Following an open competition for independent members, Peter Hain has appointed the following Board members: Sir Desmond Rea, Joe Byrne, Barry Gilligan, Pauline McCabe, Rosaleen Moore, Suneil Sharma, Dawn Purvis, Brian Rea MBE JP, Trevor Ringland, Brendan Duddy, and Deirdre MacBride.

Commenting on today’s announcements, Ulster Unionist Party warned that they would boycott the policing body if it becomes "an unelected quango."

Speaking earlier Deputy UUP Leader Danny Kennedy said: “We intend to take time to reflect fully on today’s developments. As part of this process we will be engaging in wide-ranging discussions both internally and with other interested parties.

“It remains of critical concern that the government intends to switch the balance of the board from democratically elected majority, to majority appointed."

Mr Kennedy added that this would transform the board into a government appointed quango, which would run completely contrary to the Patten recommendations.

He continued by saying: "Peter Hain has unilaterally broken the agreement made in 2001 and is casting a shadow over the only piece of the 1998 arrangements to have weathered the storm.

“We continue to have major reservations and will examine the options carefully.”

Sinn Féin policing spokesperson, North Belfast MLA, Gerry Kelly has also dismissed the announcement of a new make Policing Board, as the establishment of 'another quango' when he said what was needed was "democratic accountability."

Mr Kelly said: "In four years the previous Policing Board failed to end political policing or tackle collusion and failed to hold the political detectives publicly to account.

"The members of this Board have all been appointed by the British Secretary of State. This is not what Patten recommended. We need democratic accountability not another quango.

Mr Kelly concluded by saying that the requirement for a democratically accountable civic policing service has yet to be delivered and that this is achievable through the transfer of powers on policing to a restored local Assembly and Executive, within an all-Ireland framework.

(EF/SP)