British Prime Minister Tony Blair will hear proposals from the Rev Ian Paisley today on returning devolution to the North.
Ian Paisley will be discussing devolution at the meeting with Tony Blair
The Democratic Unionist leader will travel to Downing Street with a 16-page document advocating a two-phase process towards bringing back the assembly and devolved government at Stormont.
He is also expected to press the British government for progress on a number of key confidence-building measures for the unionist community including a generous financial package for Royal Irish Regiment soldiers facing possible redundancy next year.
Mr Blair is due to travel to Dublin on Thursday for talks with the Taoiseach, and both governments are hoping for a political breakthrough in 2006 on the back of a positive report from the Independent Monitoring Commission later this month on IRA activity,
But Dr Paisley is expected to reiterate that he does not see a government featuring Sinn Féin and the DUP in the foreseeable future.
Devolution has been suspended in the North since October 2002 when allegations of spying against Republicans threatened to destroy power sharing institutions.
After three failed bids to revive devolution, the IRA last year declared in July that it was ending its armed campaign and followed that up by completing its programme of disarmament in September.
However the DUP and the Ulster Unionists insist that they also want proof that the IRA is honouring its word by not only ending paramilitary activity but its involvement in criminality.
PA