Lord Alderdice, the former Alliance leader, is stepping down as Speaker of the Northern Assembly. He was appointed to the position in July 1998 by the then Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam.
Lord Alderdice is one of four members of the Independent Monitoring Commission, established last year, which examines alleged breaches of paramilitary ceasefires and reports to the British and Irish governments. He said he wanted to underpin the independence of the commission and could only do so by stepping down from his position as Speaker.
The Assembly was suspended by the British government in October 2002. Lord Alderdice, like the other members of the 108-seat body, has been on a reduced salary in the interim. The Speaker's salary had been cut to just over £48,000.
The Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, has replied to Lord Alderdice, acknowledging the pressures faced by the IMC commissioner as the body prepares for its first publication. He remarked on the Speaker's "calm authority" and leadership qualities at a time in the Assembly when emotions ran high.
Referring to Lord Alderdice's legacy, Mr Murphy said: "I hope that it can once again be drawn on as the Assembly resumes its functions in the context of stable devolved government in a Northern Ireland entirely free from paramilitary activity."