Those incidents and possible that at Larne yesterday inevitably raise questions over the position of the two parties associated with the loyalist

Those incidents, and possible that at Larne yesterday, inevitably raise questions over the position of the two parties associated with the loyalist paramilitaries."It is open to participants in the political talks to raise the issue, and possibly seek the expulsion of the loyalists, during a plenary session to be held on Monday next. At the moment however the signs are that most parties are reluctant to press the issue.The Ulster Unionist MP Ken Maginnis said his party would not seek their expulsion, saying there had been a significant contrast in the leadership being given by loyalist political spokesmen and the Sinn Fein leadership. But he added: "Obviously there could come a point when the weight of activity overrides that point of view."Ian Paisley jun of the Democratic Unionist party said his party was waiting for the Government to take the initiative. He added: "Quite obviously the British government want everyone else to do their dirty work for them. We are saying to them 'You have the statements from the RUC, you are a participant in the talks, you bring forward the indictment'.".

Relations between John Major and David Trimble were strained last night after the Ulster Unionist leader emerged without concessions from a meeting with the Prime Minister at his private room at the House of Commons, writes Colin Brown. With the Ulster Unionists threatening to vote against the Government in a Commons vote last night, Mr Trimble's party appeared to ready to assert its authority, holding the balance at Westminster. Mr Trimble privately criticised the Northern Ireland Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, of inaction in the face of the collapsing ceasefire and the worsening security situation. He served notice that the places occupied by the Loyalists at the cross-party talks would be challenged on Monday.. Test of dexterity: Quarry workers extracting sandstone from above St Bride's Bay in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, where the quarry that supplied the original material to build St David's Cathedral north of the bay in the 12th century has been reopened to provide for the restoration of the west front (inset).

Medieval methods of extraction are being used to avoid damage and pollution from blasting. Photographs: Rob Stratton. London is failing the mentally ill, with services are near to collapse and unable to sustain the demands made on them, according to the most comprehensive study ever undertaken into mental health provision in the capital. The capital is running out of beds, there are more acts of violence, more patients compulsorily detained and higher rates of admission than in any other part of the country, according to the King's Fund which produced the 400-page report. It said that care in the community services are insufficient to cope with patients that do not qualify for secure beds. There are huge variations in residential care facilities across London and home treatment is available in only a few areas.London has been at the centre of the debate over the treatment of the mentally ill with a succession of high-profile care-in-the community failures - among them the schizophrenics Christopher Clunis and Stephen Laudat, who went on to kill. A government report last year listing authorities that could not provide comprehensive mental health services before 1997 was dominated by London boroughs.Rates for psychosis in inner London are double those of other inner cities and the higher admission thresholds in London mean that patients who are not psychotic or have not been compulsorily detained are less likely to gain access to an acute bed than in other parts of the country.The Secretary of State for Health, Stephen Dorrell, said he acknowledged that mental health services in London were under pressure, but said that the Government had already responded to the problems. "Mental health has for many years been the Cinderella service but in the last five years there has been a striking shift in priorities," he said.

"The funding formula has been changed to reflect the fact that there is a higher incidence of mental illness in London and consequently greater pressure on the services. We will keep the formula under review and if it can be demonstrated that it is not appropriately reflecting patient need then we will change it again."But mental health charities said the report confirmed their worst fears and criticised ministers for not doing more to prevent the crisis. The charity Mind blamed the Government's "negligent" underfunding of community care for the "exceptionally difficult circumstances" in the capital."For years, Mind has been warning the Government that the failure to properly fund comprehensive community care would lead to a crisis," said Judi Clements, the charity's national director. "The failures highlighted by this report, and many others before, deserve a considered response from government, and not more knee-jerk reactions designed to boost opinion poll ratings."Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the charity Sane, called for a moratorium on bed closures. "It is disgraceful that seriously mentally ill people are either discharged too early or are not admitted to hospital for the care and treatment they need," she said. "Instead, they are being squeezed into hospital corridors ... forcing psychiatrists to make intolerable choices."The report said that delays in getting a bed were frequent, with the average wait for admission to a secure unit being 24 hours, and seven weeks for residential accommodation with 24-hour staffing.