Letter from the Northern Ireland Office to 10 Downing Street advising John Major of Patrick Mayhew's view on the recent draft (eight) of the Joint Declaration document and the publicity surrounding the Hume/Adams talks. The Irish government prefer their draft to a joint assessment following continued overt talks (quick fix, avoids potential referendum on Articles 2 and 3 of the constitution). NI Office notes that the draft is an improvement but a number of factors remain important to consider when deciding whether to follow the line set by Hume and the Taoiseach. These include: the extent of HMG involvement, the prospects for such a draft ending Provisional and Loyalist violence, the impact on the existing Talks process (particularly noting constitutional Unionist suspicion), the effect on opinion in Great Britain and internationally. Paragraph 4 and the need to sensitively define 'self-detemination' remains an issue. Resolution to engage with the Irish government and remain committed to non-engagement with violent actors. Letter also sent to Robin Butler and David Gillmore.
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