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11/09/2002
Blair pledges 'strong support' for PSNI
PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde has said that the Prime Minister Tony Blair has expressed "strong support" for the new police service in the province.
Mr Orde, who made the comments after a meeting with the prime minister this morning, also revealed that Mr Blair confirmed he would have the resources needed to carry out his job.
This comes after Mr Orde revealed that the full-time reserve needed to be kept on because of falling police numbers, an extremely high absentee rate within the force and an upsurge in sectarian violence in Belfast.
According to the Patten Report, the full-time reserve should be phased out, but only in the event of the "normalisation" of the policing situation.
Mr Blair said the chief constable had a very difficult job but that he would have "our 100% support in making sure we deal with those localised but very serious outbreaks of violence and in the continuing struggle against those people who want to continue with terrorism".
However, the UUP's North Belfast assembly member, Fred Cobain, said the government must honour the commitments it gave to the PSNI some time ago.
He said: "The prime minister's reassurances that the chief constable will have the resources required to do his job are not enough in themselves.
"Some time ago the government committed itself to tackling issues such as retaining the full-time reserve, providing additional money for training and a new police college.
"It is time for Mr Blair to honour these commitments."
SDLP leader Mark Durkan also met Mr Blair today for talks on police reforms.
Speaking afterwards, the deputy first minister said he had been given an assurance that legislation aimed at easing nationalist fears over the new policing arrangements would be introduced in the next session of Parliament.
Elsewhere, President George Bush's special adviser on Northern Ireland Richard Haass is due in Belfast on Thursday to meet the political parties.
He and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern will hold talks in Dublin with Northern Ireland politicians later this week.
(MB)
Mr Orde, who made the comments after a meeting with the prime minister this morning, also revealed that Mr Blair confirmed he would have the resources needed to carry out his job.
This comes after Mr Orde revealed that the full-time reserve needed to be kept on because of falling police numbers, an extremely high absentee rate within the force and an upsurge in sectarian violence in Belfast.
According to the Patten Report, the full-time reserve should be phased out, but only in the event of the "normalisation" of the policing situation.
Mr Blair said the chief constable had a very difficult job but that he would have "our 100% support in making sure we deal with those localised but very serious outbreaks of violence and in the continuing struggle against those people who want to continue with terrorism".
However, the UUP's North Belfast assembly member, Fred Cobain, said the government must honour the commitments it gave to the PSNI some time ago.
He said: "The prime minister's reassurances that the chief constable will have the resources required to do his job are not enough in themselves.
"Some time ago the government committed itself to tackling issues such as retaining the full-time reserve, providing additional money for training and a new police college.
"It is time for Mr Blair to honour these commitments."
SDLP leader Mark Durkan also met Mr Blair today for talks on police reforms.
Speaking afterwards, the deputy first minister said he had been given an assurance that legislation aimed at easing nationalist fears over the new policing arrangements would be introduced in the next session of Parliament.
Elsewhere, President George Bush's special adviser on Northern Ireland Richard Haass is due in Belfast on Thursday to meet the political parties.
He and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern will hold talks in Dublin with Northern Ireland politicians later this week.
(MB)
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