Mandelson announces major changes to policing in the North

The Northern Secretary has announced fundamental changes to the RUC, including a change of name to drop the Royal title. In a Commons statement, Peter Mandelson indicated that he accepted most of the 175 recommendations on the future of the force outlined in the report by the former Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten. A central change will be the reduction in the size of the force, and the goal of increasing Catholic recruitment.

The North's First Minister and MP, David Trimble, said that it would dishonour the RUC to change its name to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, but the SDLP leader, John Hume, welcomed the announcement. The Taoiseach also welcomed the changes. Bertie Ahern said that the British Government has moved quickly and comprehensively to deal with the key issues of the Patten Report. He said that the changes allow a policing service that can have the confidence of the Nationalist people to exist and that that is what was necessary.

The author of the report, Chris Patten, also welcomed the announcement. Mr Patten, who is now an EU commissioner, said that his commission had delivered a balanced set of proposals that should secure maximum public support. Mr Mandelson again paid tribute to the RUC. In a message to police officers and their families, he said that the RUC were owed a huge debt of gratitude, but he again insisted that change was necessary if the new police service was to command the support of all the people of Northern Ireland.

Rank-and-file RUC officers have, however, expressed bitter disappointment at the change in name. The chairman of the Police Federation, Les Rodgers, said that it was a vengeful, destructive measure based on the misplaced belief that the name, rather than intimidation, had been a significant deterrent to reaching out to all parts of the community.

By the time the Northern Secretary rose to his feet in the Commons this afternoon, most of the changes he was about to announce had been widely trailed. There will be a change of name, but not until autumn of next year. The RUC will become the Police Service of Northern Ireland. In a perfect world, he said, he would have kept the name, but he admitted that it was not owned by both communities.

There will be new recruitment procedures to attract more Catholics and create what the Northern Secretary called a more representative and effective force. However, any changes to the insignia of the force, the crown and harp cap badge, are to be looked at by the new police board, which will replace the old Police Authority. There is to be a new oath but only for new recruits, all officers will receive human rights training and the Patten proposal for district policing boards has been endorsed.

However, the Special Branch and the CID are to be retained, contrary to Mr Patten's recommendations. The force's numbers however are to be drastically cut to the levels suggested by the Patten Report. Subject to the security situation, there will be about 7,500 full-time officers. The part-time reserve will be enlarged, but the full-time reserve is to be abolished. The Northern Secretary said severance arrangements, which are already being negotiated, would be generous and sympathetic.