7 December, 2000

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Constantine remarks show need for amending legislation

Six-County Policing Oversight Commissioner, Tom Constantine, said on Wednesday that it could take ten years before police membership reflects the community balance.

Reacting to this remark, Sinn Féin Assembly member for North Belfast and spokesperson on policing, Gerry Kelly, said: ``The Mandelson Police Act does not cover the critical matter of a quota of nationalist and republican recruits to any new service. The legislation only specifies Catholics, not nationalists and republicans.

``Currently 8 per cent of the RUC is Catholic but these members are clearly neither nationalist or republican. This is one of the more obvious serious gaps between what Patten recommended and Peter Mandelson has produced.

``And it is one more reason why the British government needs to introduce amending legislation in the British Parliament if we are to ensure that the policing legislation eventually implements Patten.''

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