There are indications from secret British government and military documents that shortly before Bloody Sunday some form of new political initiative was being contemplated in regard to Northern Ireland, the Bloody Sunday inquiry was told yesterday.
Mr Christopher Clarke QC, counsel to the tribunal, introduced several documents, including cabinet committee records, which will be considered in detail during the inquiry.
One of these is a note of a meeting of the Ministry of Defence Northern Ireland Policy Group held on December 22nd, 1971. It had before it a minute from Gen. Sir Michael Carver, chief of the general staff (CGS) of the British army, in which he reported on a visit to the North a few days previously.
The Ministry of Defence note records that "CGS said that he thought we should aim at some positive political initiative about February, when he judged the security situation would be just right for it.
"There would only be a short time available for such a move before any hardening of attitudes or backlash set in. It seemed to him that this initiative should have three parts: first, the transfer of responsibility for law and order to Westminster, whether we liked the idea or not; secondly, transferring all those areas of governmental activity which were subject to inter-sectarian strife (e.g. education and housing) to public boards; thirdly, to inquire into and reorganise representation at Stormont.
"Such proposals might be put forward in the context of the inter-party talks which were about to begin. Meanwhile, the army should continue its operations, aimed at reducing local support for the IRA and isolating them from the community, as had been achieved in the Ballymacarratt area. He did not see any need to up-rate army activity from its current level . . ."
Mr Clarke also referred to records of the first meeting of the cabinet committee for Northern Ireland held in the new year of 1972. The CGS also reported to this meeting, held on January 7th, and a discussion took place which again addressed the desirability of a political initiative.