Statement issued by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams in response to the Police (NI) Bill, 16 May 2000

Statement issued by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams in response to the Police (NI) Bill, 16 May 2000

In the recent negotiations leading up to the discussions at Hillsborough, Sinn Féin raised our concerns at unionist attempts to dilute the Patten proposals on policing. The two governments made it clear to us that neither the RUC nor the Patten proposals would form part of those negotiations.

The two governments (in their letter to party leaders on 6 May 2000) committed themselves to the implementation of the Patten proposals. Today's Policing Bill does not fulfil that commitment. In fact, it represents a major departure from the Patten Report on some of the most important issues.