Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:

“It is absolutely outrageous that IICD should not hand over a list of weapons supposed decommissioned by terrorist groups. I suspect that if the inventory was to be published people would see just how big a con job decommissioning was.

“When this was suggested back in January I stated:

“It is imperative that both the inventories and security force estimates of the weapons held by terrorists are published so that the true extent of actual decommissioning can be assessed. This would perhaps go some way to providing clarity on just why the UVF still have guns after their alleged decommissioning and why IRA semtex and weapons have a habit of turning up in so-called dissident attacks.

“There was a time when the DUP leader Peter Robinson claimed he wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than complete clarity on this issue. Following one of the IRA’s acts of decommissioning he sated:  "Smoke and mirrors, and slight of hand, and fudge and haziness simply won't cut it ... We want to know what the inventory is, we want proof that decommissioning has taken place." Likewise, government promised full transparency once decommissioning was complete.

“Failure to publish full inventories confirms the suspicion of many that the true extent of decommissioning was exaggerated, if not fabricated, for patent political purposes. If there is nothing to hide, let us have full publication now. I invite all unionist parties to unite in making this a non-negotiable demand."

“This preposterous state of affairs cannot be allowed to stand and I will be making as much clear in representations to the secretary of State.”