Ulster Unionists reject plan to save Belfast Agreement

The Ulster Unionist Party has rejected the IRA's movement on decommissioning and the Irish and British governments' peace plan aimed at saving the Belfast Agreement.

Mr David Trimble

Speaking after a two-hour meeting with his Assembly team and parliamentary party, Mr David Trimble said the package was not in itself enough to persuade unionists to support the proposals. "It is only if that package succeeded in providing movement from the republicans and nationalists that the situation would arise," he said.

It is only if that package succeeded in providing movement from the republicans and nationalists that the situation would arise," Mr David Trimble

"We have seen a step by republicans but of course it falls far short of what we need, which is to see decommissioning actually begin. We're now heading towards a difficulty at the end of the week," he said.Mr Trimble said there was no change in his position from last night's statement in which he said there was "nothing to respond to" in the absence of actual decommissioning by the IRA and in the absence of the SDLP moving to support policing.The SDLP earlier responded positively to the Irish and British governments' proposals to break the deadlock in the peace process.Speaking at a press conference in Belfast, SDLP leader Mr John Hume said the party had made a detailed study of the proposals. "We are responding with a very strong 'Yes'," he said."We have some concerns, but that is totally natural," he said. "We are fully committed to the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement".

We have some concerns, but that is totally natural Mr John Hume

On policing, Mr Hume said the SDLP was committed to the implementation of a police service that would draw membership from all sections of the community.But he said the party had a number of concerns on the matter that must be resolved before the SDLP would take its seats on the new policing board. These include entry into the new force for members of the Garda and the fate of the full and part-time reserves.SDLP deputy leader Mr Seamus Mallon described the sections of the implementation plan that he has seen as "quite adequate", although he said there were "two, maybe three elements that there will be futher developments on".Sinn Féin has said it needs to see more detail on policing, demilitarisation and criminal justice before it can support the package.