There is no hidden agenda behind the IRA's latest round of arms decommissioning, the Northern Ireland secretary said on Tuesday.

Dr John Reid acknowledged that the government was trying to find a solution to the problem of fugitive IRA suspects but vowed that Monday's decision to put republican arms beyond use was unrelated to any "secret deal".

"There has been no secret deal," he told the BBC.

Reid said that the biggest obstacle to an amnesty for republican fugitives was the feelings of the victims of decades of IRA violence.

"It is no secret that we want to deal with the issue of those prisoners who have been on the run ... But it is a difficult one, we have to think of the victims, we have to think of the non-republicans who can't come back because of the threat from the paramilitaries," he said.

"We have to think of a range of issues and we haven't got the method of resolving the problem yet. But there has been no secret deal or trade-off here."

Welcoming the IRA's unilateral move as "genuinely good news", the secretary of state warned "there is a long way to go on all of the Northern Ireland peace process".

"We have a long way to go on the assembly, giving more powers to that, a long way to go on reform of policing, a long way to go with the loyalists, some of whom aren't even on ceasefire," he said.

But the work that was still left to be done "should not diminish the significance of this, because it means that last October's historic event wasn't a one-off and ... it shows that people are serious about their commitment," he argued, pledging further progress.

"I want to see the British troop level diminish further as well. We want to see the reforms of institutions going ahead."

IRA move

In Monday's statement announcing the move, the IRA said it was acting to ensure that the peace process was "stabilised, sustained and strengthened".

Number 10 welcomed the steps as a sign that the peace process was delivering "a better society" for the people of Ulster.

The move increased speculation that a decision over amnesties for IRA suspects on the run is moving closer.

Tony Blair has consistently refused to rule out such a measure, and discussions on the issue have been continuing.

The IRA's decision may now make it easier for Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble to tell his supporters that despite their intense dislike of the possibility of amnesties, the process is bringing other benefits in the form of a process that could lead to the eventual decommissioning of the IRA's full arsenal.

And the first minister called on loyalists not on ceasefire to follow suite to the republicans and disarm.

"Now we have got a process of decommissioning coming from republicans, loyalists must realise that there is more urgency for them to start their own process," Trimble said.

'Substantial' act

The IRA said the latest decommissioning had followed discussions with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, headed by General John de Chastelain.

The IICD confirmed that it had witnessed "an event in which the IRA leadership has put a varied and substantial quantity of ammunition, arms and explosive material beyond use".

"This initiative is unilateral at a time when there are those who are not fulfilling their obligations," said the IRA's statement, referring to a March deadline on agreeing an amnesty deal.

The IRA said its actions illustrated its commitment to the peace process.

"It could be argued that the IRA should not take such an initiative, but it is precisely because of this that an initiative has been undertaken, so the peace process can be stabilised, sustained and strengthened," said the statement.

The terrorist organisation also admitted that the move would cause "difficulties" for republicans. In a significant admission indicating the organisation may be having difficulties carrying its rank and file members with it, the statement said the move was "a leadership initiative".

"We are relying on the discipline and commitment of our support base and our volunteers. We remain committed to achieving our republican objectives," said the IRA .

"However, the securing of a democratic peace settlement is not solely a task for Irish republicans and we are mindful of the primary obligation of the British government and of the Unionist leadership."

The move follows last October's destruction of an undisclosed quantity of guns and explosives in two arms dumps.

The Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, welcomed the announcement, but the anti-Agreement Democratic Unionist Party said the move was "a stunt".

"It will not impress anybody from the unionist community which is still waiting to find out whether it was one or two guns decommissioned the first time," the party's deputy leader Peter Robinson.

Lembit Opik, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on Northern Ireland, said the IRA's decision was constructive and joined the calls for loyalists to decommission their weapons.

"It demonstrates that this latest round of talks with the decommissioning commission have been constructive and effective. I would encourage the IRA to continue its dialogue with the commission and I call upon the loyalist paramilitaries to enter similar discussions in order to secure the full decommissioning of paramilitary arms in Northern Ireland."