Ford calls on Governments to ensure comprehesive discussions

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 1st Sep 2004

ALLIANCE Leader David Ford MLA has called on the Government to ensure that this month's discussions at Stormont and Leeds Castle include all the outstanding issues.

Speaking after separate meetings today with the Secretary of State and with the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, David Ford stated:

"I believe that there is a real danger that the Government is concentrating solely on getting the DUP and Sinn Fein into government together, and it is failing to address the other problems with the working of the Agreement.

"I have urged both Mr Murphy and Jonathan Powell to ensure that all outstanding issues are on the agenda for the talks at Leeds Castle. This includes the problems with the Assembly voting system, the Designation of members and the lack of shared responsibility in the Executive.

"Unless more work is done in the next two weeks, there will be no chance of progress inside Leeds Castle; parties might as well be outside wandering around lost in its maze."