Policing talks move to London
Gordon Brown is set to continue talks on devolving policing and justice powers to Stormont in London on Tuesday.
Monday, 05 October 2009
The First and Deputy First Ministers will now travel to Downing Street after progress is said to have been made in Belfast on Monday to break the political impasse over the issue.
Read Ken Reid's blog: On the road again
The Prime Minister travelled to Stormont in a convoy of vehicles from Belfast City Airport held talks with party leaders including DUP First Minister Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, as well as the police commander.
While the two main parties in the region's power-sharing executive both support the transfer of law and order responsibilities from Westminster to Belfast, they are at odds over the timing of the move.
Sinn Fein claims it should have happened months ago, but the DUP says it will not approve devolution until the Treasury stumps up an appropriate cash package - thought to be in the region of £600m - to support the region's new justice department.
Although Sinn Fein acknowledges that funding is important, it believes Mr Robinson is using it as an excuse to delay the transfer in the face of resistance from hardline elements within his ranks.
Senior Sinn Fein figures also believe the DUP is wary of the electoral impact of the move, given the vocal opposition to devolution from the anti-agreement Traditional Unionist Voice party.
The First Minister has insisted that, apart from money, there also needs to be sufficient confidence within the unionist community before he will give the go-ahead.
Mr Brown also received a briefing on the current threat posed by dissident republicans from Northern Ireland's new Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, during his visit to Stormont.
And he held discussions with Alliance Party leader David Ford, whose team is favourite to take over the Justice Ministry under a devolution settlement.
Mr Brown was greeted by childcare demonstrators asking for more money as he arrived at Stormont in a column of around 10 vehicles accompanied by motorcycle outriders.
The working mothers were protesting about the mooted abolition of tax relief on childcare vouchers. They object to proposals to replace the scheme with more childcare places for toddlers, claiming parents of older children would lose out on vital support.
Marie Marin, director of Employers For Childcare, said the average parent would be £1,000 worse off under the plan.
"This is an outrage for working parents across the UK," she said.
© Press Association