(In its 20-year history, only one other South Bank Show episode has met with this ignominious fate: a still-unscreened documentary on the miners’ strike made by Ken Loach). Suddenly, with the departure of Simon Shaps as LWT Director of Programmes and the arrival in his place of Marcus Plantin, “Body Art” has sneaked back into the schedules. For a South Bank Show audience that has come to expect one-and-a-half hour specials on Elaine Paige, the Bee Gees and Michael Flatley, a programme on extreme visceral performance art may indeed come as a bit of a shock.
Dan Wiles, director of the “Body Art” programme, maintains that the South Bank Show has always catered to less-than-popular tastes. Within hours the killing was surrounded by political controversy and calls for inquiries, controversy which has deepened over the years.The first point of controversy arose before the killing took place. In the previous month Douglas Hogg, then a Home Office minister, caused a stir when he said in Parliament: “I have to state as a fact, but with great regret, that there are in Northern Ireland a number of solicitors who are unduly sympathetic to the cause of the IRA.”His comments were condemned at the time by Seamus Mallon, the Social Democratic and Labour Party MP, who said they could lead to an attempt on the life of a solicitor. The security forces were dismayed, and republicans delighted, when at a preliminary inquiry all charges were dismissed and he walked free from the court with his solicitor, Pat Finucane.Four months later in February 1989 Mr Finucane, one of the best-known solicitors in Belfast, was killed in his north Belfast home by three loyalist gunmen who, in front of his family, shot him 14 times.

These related to the deaths of two British Army corporals who drove into a republican funeral cortege in Belfast earlier that year.
McGeown, who had almost died while on hungerstrike, was also believed by the intelligence community to be a senior figure in the IRA, at one stage acting as its Belfast commander. In November 1988, McGeown, who has since died, faced charges of murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of firearms. A joint statement said the two leaders had “very useful and wide-ranging discussions” thought more work needed to be done.. POLICE and republicans alike could scarcely believe it: Pat McGeown had got off. A republican legend within both the IRA and Sinn Fein, it seemed certain that this time he was going to be put away for good.

we want evolutionary change so that these follow on naturally.”Ms Mowlam also supported a register for the RUC to name the groups to which they belonged, such as the Masons and the Orange Lodges.Meanwhile, Tony Blair last night held a working dinner with Bertie Ahern at Downing Street in an attempt to narrow the gap between the parties over the Northern Ireland peace process. It said that the Northern Ireland DPP had concluded there was insufficient evidence to warrant any prosecution, adding: “Unless new evidence is brought to light there can be no justification for another inquiry, although the police file remains open.”Addressing the UN observation that in 1996 the lodging of 2,504 complaints against the RUC had resulted in only one officer being found guilty of abuse of authority, the Government said it was considering the introduction of a lower standard of proof.Mo Mowlam, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, yesterday told a committee of MPs that the RUC had to change to end hostility over symbols, including its “Royal” title, writes Colin Brown.She said that the name of the force would remain unchanged for the time being, but added: “We are trying to put issues on the agenda … The UN report warned: “So long as this murder is unresolved, many in the community will continue to lack confidence in the ability of the government to dispense justice in a fair and equitable manner.”The Government responded that an RUC inquiry into the lawyer’s death had been followed by another carried out by a senior English policeman, John Stevens. Its author is Malaysian jurist Param Cumaraswamy, who is the Commission’s special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.The killing of Mr Finucane, who met his death at the hands of loyalist gunmen, has for years been the subject of allegations of security force collusion. It also reacted coolly to the call for an investigation into alleged police harassment of defence lawyers, though it conceded that this was a matter of considerable concern.
The responses followed publication in Geneva of the report, which was drawn up for the United Nations Human Rights Commission. THE Government yesterday rejected a UN report’s call for a judicial inquiry into the 1989 murder of Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane, saying that such tribunals were reserved only for matters of urgent public importance.

Crimewatch UK, Summer Holiday, Songs of PraiseOther achievements: Weston Amateur Dramatic Society1995 National Federation of Hairdressers Head of the Year.Works to promote heart charities.. 1984 Founded Virgin Atlantic AirwaysOther achievements:Holder of the Blue Riband Trophy for the fastest sea crossing of the Atlantic 1986World record crossings of Atlantic by balloon 1987 and 1991.Honorary Professor of Economics, Miyazaki Sangyo Keiei University, Japan.Honorary Japanese citizen.Name: Jill DandoAge: 36Present position: Newsreader and broadcasterEducation: Worle School, Weston-super-Mare.Broadoak School, Weston-super-MareTwo A-levels.National Council for the Training of Journalists certificate 1982Work experience: 1980-85 Reporter, Weston Mercury.1985-87 Reporter/presenter for BBC Radio Devon1988 Presenter, BBC South West.1988- Presenter, BBC News Also Holiday programme. Life president Virgin Music.Education: Scaitcliffe Primary School, Berkshire, 1958-64Stowe School, 1964-67Five O-levels; A-level in Ancient history.Work experience: Established student magazine while at school.1970 Founded mail-order Virgin record service1971 Opened first Virgin record shop … Re-named Stagecoach Express Services1980-83 Co-director, Stagecoach Ltd.Other achievements: Scottish Marketing Woman of the Year, 1989United Kingdom Businesswoman of the Year, 1989-90Name: Richard BransonAge: 47Present position: Chairman and Chief Executive Virgin Management, Virgin Retail Group, Virgin Communications, Virgin Holdings. 1965-66 Scott Cup for best rugby player.1967 Captain of Junior Colts Cricket Team1967 Formed drama group called The PseudsSix months’ work experience in Paris.Name: Ann GloagAge: 55Present position: Group managing director, Stagecoach Holdings PlcEducation: Caledonian Road Primary School.Perth High School.No O-levelsWork experience: 1960-65 Trainee nurse, Bridge of Earn Hospital, Perth.1965-69 Ward sister, Devonshire Royal Hospital, Buxton.1969-80 Founding partner, Gloagtrotter.

Elected Labour Party leader and Leader of the Opposition 1994.Prime Minister 1997.Other achievements: Durham Choristers School. A-levels: English, French, HistoryConservative candidate in mock election.St John’s College, Oxford 1972-75 Law degree.Work experience: Called to the Bar, Lincoln’s Inn, 1976.Practised as barrister 1976-83, specialising in employment and industrial law.Labour MP for Sedgefield 1983 Shadow Treasury Affairs Minister 1985 … Would it include personal references and statements from university applicants? Qualifications would be put in automatically by awarding bodies, but would it be up to individuals to update other parts of their profiles throughout their lives?Right, we suggest how the profiles of some well-known figures might look.Name: Tony Blair.Age: 46Present position: Prime Minister and Labour Party Leader.Education: Durham Choristers School Third in the first-year exam.Fettes College, Edinburgh. Eventually, test results and achievements from the time of starting nursery school might be included, as well as an individual’s employment record.The report is a feasibility study and many details have yet to be considered. Music grades, sporting triumphs and community service might also be there along with positions of responsibility and work experience. The report prepared by Tony Higgins, chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, will suggest that the new profiles would include examination results at least from the age of 16, such as GCSEs, A-levels, vocational qualifications, degrees, MBAs and work-related qualifications.
The profiles would also show whether people had acquired “key skills” such as numeracy, literacy and information technology.