a matter for the assembly and could not be imposed..
You need to read to the end of the BBC report to get to the significant part of the reported speech by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, at the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body’s 35th Plenary Session in Oxford
Mr Woodward also said that the devolution of policing and justice powers was a matter for the assembly and could not be imposed.
Indeed. Of course, he’s already accepted that the timetable might need to be changed.. Now, is anyone still “thoroughly baffled”?
peteb, Brian Feeney writes in the Irish News:
http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2007/nov21_shootings_response_inadequate__BFeeney.php
” There is one other inescapable conclusion. If the response from the British administration here has been shamefully inadequate and laid back, and it has been, then it provides an unanswerable argument for local politicians to take charge of justice and security.”
Response to shootings shamefully inadequate
Impressive case indeed!