Troubles report can help: Durkan

The SDLP's annual conference is being held in Armagh

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has said he hopes there will be no knee-jerk reaction to the recommendations of the Eames/Bradley report on the past.

Mr Durkan said the group's proposals, which would include a £12,000 payment to victims' families could point to a way forward for society.

SDLP supporters are this weeked gathering for the SDLP's annual conference.

It is being held in the Armagh City Hotel on Saturday.

"This is not a statement which says we are judging people of equal worth, of equal innocence, of equal guilt or anything else," said Mr Durkan.

"It is recognising that no matter who or what were the circumstances in which people were killed in our troubles, usually the system of compensation was pretty inadequate and the process was pretty insulting."

If the recommendation is accepted by the government, the cost would be an estimated £40m.

Mr Durkan was interviewed for Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme (Saturday 1245 GMT). The SDLP conference is being screened on BBC2 from 1145 GMT.

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