Special Branch officers named in Commons

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has waded into the RUC collusion scandal by using parliamentary privilege to name three senior RUC officers who, he claims, failed to co-operate with the Police Ombudsman's inquiry.

During Prime Minister's question time today, Mr Durkan named three former assistant chief constables - Chris Abliston, Raymond White and Freddie Hall - in the House of Commons.

The Ombudsman's report on 15 loyalist murders found that collusion had occurred.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said he "deeply and bitterly regretted" any collusion that had occurred.

Both the SDLP and Sinn Fein have called for the resignation of former Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan from the post as chief of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Earlier this week, the present PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde released a statement apparently distancing himself from the debacle.

On Monday Sir Hugh welcomed the report and said: "The report makes shocking, disturbing and uncomfortable reading. It does not reflect well on the individuals involved, particularly those responsible for their management and oversight."

The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has called for action following a meeting with delegations from the SDLP and Sinn Fein.

He stopped short of calling for resignations but he has called for an investigation into the issue.

The Policing Board, which met today in a extraordinary session has discussed the Police Ombudsman's report, but has said it wishes more time to examine the report in detail.

Policing Board Chairman Professor Sir Desmond Rea said: "Following discussions today, the Board accepts its responsibility to oversee the implementation of the report's recommendations and establish a mechanism to review, within a period of six months, the PSNI response and monitor progress to ensure that the public can have confidence in this area of work.

"The Policing Board will discuss the detail of implementation of the recommendation with the Chief Constable, and the resources required, at the meeting early in February.

"The Board has also agreed that the Board's Human Rights Advisors will examine, validate and report on the implementation of the recommendations; and if appropriate will appoint additional external expertise to assist in their work.

"Through its work, and in overseeing all the changes in this area of work, the Board has conducted its business in a manner that injects openness and transparency in policing. In public sessions of Board meetings, presentations have been delivered on the new structures, policies, processes and practices in place for crime operations and the management of intelligence. For the first time perhaps in the history of UK policing, the Board was briefed on the stringent requirements now to be met for the management of informants all on public record. As such, the Board will continue to receive a presentation on this issue in this forum.

"As I have said before, I cannot stress enough the Board's commitment to ensure that the failings of the past cannot be repeated. Northern Ireland has had a difficult and turbulent past and there are many hurts within all sections of our community. To all the families touched by this report, I can only express my sincere messages of sorrow at the distress suffered, and that such wrong doing is not acceptable to this Board or society as a whole."

(SP/KMcA)