PATTEN COMMISSION

Early day motion 960, tabled 29 October 1999 by Kevin McNamara (Labour). Signed by 11 members.

That this House welcomes the unanimous report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland; congratulates the Right honourable Chris Patten for his skilful stewardship in conducting a consultation of exceptional thoroughness, for bringing the Commission to a conclusion so closely aligned with the letter and spirit of the Good Friday Agreement in seeking a new beginning to policing in Northern Ireland with a police service capable of attracting and sustaining support from the community as a whole, and recognising consent as a critical principle for operational effectiveness; notes the Irish Post newspaper poll of Irish in Britain found 90 per cent. supporting implementation of the Patten reforms; regrets the disinformation campaign against the Patten reforms launched by the Daily Telegraph newspaper in covert alliance with the intransigent Friends of the Union grouping and sections of the Orange Order; and is angered by the newspaper's cynical use of disabled officers and its exploitation of the memory of officers who have fallen victim to terrorism and its manipulation of the grief of their relatives in order to boost their dead-end campaign to undermine the Good Friday Agreement.

Signatures by party: Labour 10, Labour/Co-operative 1.