The British government urged Sinn Féin today to finally give its support to the Police Service of Northern Ireland to help boost the prospects of a political deal to restore devolution by the November deadline.
Secretary of State Peter Hain said: "I think it would be an enormous boost to the prospects of doing a deal by November 24 if the Sinn Fein leadership made an unequivocal commitment to support policing."
There have been indications that the Republican leadership is moving towards a position where it can recommend support for the PSNI. Mr Hain said what was needed from them was an up front commitment.
Speaking at a news conference at Stormont Castle, he said there was now no excuse for republicans not to support the new policing structures in Northern Ireland.
Mr Hain spoke out on the day it was confirmed Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said they are to host last ditch devolution talks with the Northern Ireland parties in Scotland next month.
The talks at St Andrews will take place between October 11-13th and will focus on a joint British-Irish strategy aimed a bringing about the re-establishment of the power-sharing executive at Stormont.
Mr Hain warned the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party not to think that if Sinn Féin made a commitment on policing it could bank it, ignore the November deadline set by the two governments and come back later.
He said: "If the DUP take the view they can bank things and not do the deal then they will paint themselves out of the picture because the assembly will be dissolved.
"It is a question of the DUP deciding whether they want to do the deal or not, whether they want to be in a position of leadership in Northern Ireland or whether they want to opt out."
The Secretary of State insisted there would be no decision to extend the deadline.
"If there is no deal on November 24th then Stormont shuts down. I think the prospects for devolution being established in Northern Ireland would be very, very difficult for a very long time."
Earlier addressing the all-party Preparation for Government Committee Mr Hain suggested it could be a decade before fresh efforts were made to restore devolution.
He told members: "If there is not a deal by November 24th, history shows it could take 10 years to get things going again."
PA