The announcement came shortly after a meeting between Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, party minister Dermot Nesbitt and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The talks on the state of the Northern Ireland peace process took place in Downing Street on Thursday.

We need more progress on independent monitoring of the ceasefire

David Trimble First minister

Mr Trimble's discussions with Mr Blair covered the mood within his party ahead of its ruling council meeting on 21 September.

A proposal for the independent ceasefire monitor - an idea which Mr Trimble strongly supports - was raised.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Trimble said: "We have been meeting with the prime minister over the course of the last hour.

"We have been concentrating on the problem of ongoing paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland."

Principle

The first minister said he had urged the government to get on top of the violence taking place in interface areas of Belfast, but said some progress had been made.

However, he added: "We need to gain control of both sides of the interface.

What people in Northern Ireland are concerned about is the ongoing violence in the street, the disturbances, the civil riots and they want to know what is the pattern

John Reid Secretary of state

"We need more progress on independent monitoring of the ceasefire."

He said the government seemed to have moved to a point where it was accepting that in principle.

Secretary of State John Reid said: "Of course the whole question of violence and law and order featured heavily."

He said the paramilitary ceasefires were a matter for him, but there was no reason as much information as possible should be made available to the public.

"What people in Northern Ireland are concerned about is the ongoing violence in the street, the disturbances, the civil riots and they want to know what is the pattern - is it worse than ever, is it better, what areas are improving, whose behind it, where is it happening?"

He added: "We haven't got a mechanism for that yet, but we will have in the not too distant future."

The IRA has said it opposes the idea of independent monitoring of paramilitary ceasefires in Northern Ireland.

Tony Blair heard call for a ceasefire monitor

Some Ulster Unionists had called for the party to withdraw from the Stormont executive because of recent reports alleging IRA activity in Northern Ireland and Colombia.

There are also concerns over the violence which has taken place in recent months in flashpoint areas of east and north Belfast.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan also voiced opposition to an independent ceasefire auditor.

"There is a lot of paramilitary activity taking place from organisations that are not even on ceasefire," he said.

The talks at Downing Street came as the US special envoy to Northern Ireland, Richard Haass, visited Belfast.

He met Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde and representatives of the political parties in Belfast.