In a statement to the plenary on 27 January Michael Ancram addressed the government's concerns regarding recent car-bomb attacks attributed to loyalist extremists, which have raised questions about the participation of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) in the Northern Ireland talks. Despite public concern and the incidents, no formal representation has been made under rule 29 to exclude these parties from the talks. The government has carefully considered whether these parties have dishonored their commitment to the Mitchell principles, noting that the existence of a ceasefire, while relevant, is not the sole determining factor. After evaluating all available information and recent statements from the parties reaffirming their opposition to violence and commitment to the ceasefire, the government concluded that there is no clear evidence of dishonoring the principles, and thus no grounds for their exclusion from the talks at this time.
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