OMAGH UUP BRANCH VISIT BY LADY SYLVIA HERMON
Omagh UUP branch visit by Lady Sylvia Hermon
THE Omagh branch of the Ulster Unionist Party held their quarterly meeting in the West Tyrone Constituency Office in Omagh. Mrs. Rachel Hussey, vice-chairperson of the association, chaired the meeting and welcomed all present.
The death of a stalwart member, the late Sam McGrew, was noted and all present stood in a minute's silence in tribute.
Reports on the annual conference on November 17, and the special delegate conference on December 1, were given by the secretary, Ross Hussey. He made special reference to the health debate, on which he himself had spoken highlighting the need for the retention of a major hospital unit in County Tyrone.
North Down MR, Lady Sylvia Hermon, was then invited to address the meeting. She thanked the members for the warmth of their welcome, and spoke of her childhood in Co. Tyrone, her career as a lawyer, her marriage to Sir John Hermon, and their two sons.
She then went on to discuss the Patten Report and its reform of the RUC. It is important to remember she said, that the vast majority of the report's recommendations were drawn from the RUC's own "Fundamental Review" of 1996.
It should, therefore come as no surprise to anyone that the Police Federation and the Chief Constable had welcomed much that was in the Patten Report.
Lady Hermon further explained that neither the DUP nor Bob McCartnery's UK Unionist Party had tabled a single amendment to the Police Act, which implemented Patten. The Ulster Unionist Party, and it alone, had removed many of the worst aspects of that legislation, she added.
The Criminal Justice Review proposals were then discussed. These proposals are being studied by an internal Ulster Unionist Party team, including Lady Hermon, Mrs. Arlene Foster, Jeffrey Donaldson MP, Duncan Shipley Dalton MLA, Roy Beggs Jnr. MLA, and Trevor Ringland.
"The Ulster Unionist Party totally opposed the removal of any of the Royal Coats of Arms from our courtrooms. There should be mutual respect for symbols rather than an absence in respect of British symbols," said a spokesperson.
The premature release of the Ombudsman's statement in respect of the Omagh bombing was greeted with 'shock and dismay'.
"We do not know the full content of the document and will make no comment until her exact statement and the response from the Chief Constable is known," the spokesman said.
Mr. Derek Hussey, MLA informed Lady Hermon of the current debate in respect of provision of a pension or a bounty payment for the part-time members of the RUC Reserve and she was passed a copy of the relevant Stormont debate for further perusal.
The meeting closed with the singing of the National Anthem.
THE Omagh branch of the Ulster Unionist Party held their quarterly meeting in the West Tyrone Constituency Office in Omagh. Mrs. Rachel Hussey, vice-chairperson of the association, chaired the meeting and welcomed all present.
The death of a stalwart member, the late Sam McGrew, was noted and all present stood in a minute's silence in tribute.
Reports on the annual conference on November 17, and the special delegate conference on December 1, were given by the secretary, Ross Hussey. He made special reference to the health debate, on which he himself had spoken highlighting the need for the retention of a major hospital unit in County Tyrone.
North Down MR, Lady Sylvia Hermon, was then invited to address the meeting. She thanked the members for the warmth of their welcome, and spoke of her childhood in Co. Tyrone, her career as a lawyer, her marriage to Sir John Hermon, and their two sons.
She then went on to discuss the Patten Report and its reform of the RUC. It is important to remember she said, that the vast majority of the report's recommendations were drawn from the RUC's own "Fundamental Review" of 1996.
It should, therefore come as no surprise to anyone that the Police Federation and the Chief Constable had welcomed much that was in the Patten Report.
Lady Hermon further explained that neither the DUP nor Bob McCartnery's UK Unionist Party had tabled a single amendment to the Police Act, which implemented Patten. The Ulster Unionist Party, and it alone, had removed many of the worst aspects of that legislation, she added.
The Criminal Justice Review proposals were then discussed. These proposals are being studied by an internal Ulster Unionist Party team, including Lady Hermon, Mrs. Arlene Foster, Jeffrey Donaldson MP, Duncan Shipley Dalton MLA, Roy Beggs Jnr. MLA, and Trevor Ringland.
"The Ulster Unionist Party totally opposed the removal of any of the Royal Coats of Arms from our courtrooms. There should be mutual respect for symbols rather than an absence in respect of British symbols," said a spokesperson.
The premature release of the Ombudsman's statement in respect of the Omagh bombing was greeted with 'shock and dismay'.
"We do not know the full content of the document and will make no comment until her exact statement and the response from the Chief Constable is known," the spokesman said.
Mr. Derek Hussey, MLA informed Lady Hermon of the current debate in respect of provision of a pension or a bounty payment for the part-time members of the RUC Reserve and she was passed a copy of the relevant Stormont debate for further perusal.
The meeting closed with the singing of the National Anthem.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0972
Published Date: 20-Dec-01
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