Northern Ireland MPs condemned as outrageous a suggestion that the British govern ment should pay paramilitaries to hand over their weapons. Labour backbencher Mr Dale Campbell-Savours suggested the move during Northern Ireland questions in the House of Commons yesterday - and the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, said every option would be considered.
The Democratic Unionist leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, said: "This is the lowest depth to which the government could sink, if they were prepared to buy these murder weapons stained with the blood of the innocent."