Northern Ireland Office

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill will establish a process that focuses on information recovery, delivering for victims and survivors, providing certainty for veterans and helping Northern Ireland to move forward.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill will establish a process that focuses on information recovery, delivering for victims and survivors, providing certainty for veterans and helping Northern Ireland to move forward.

The Government has provided significant resources to the Executive to address these issues and I continue to urge the parties to form an Executive, so that the £435 million provided by the Government can be allocated to help people across Northern Ireland as a matter of urgency.

The unique circumstances in Northern Ireland mean delivery for veterans is approached in a different way from the rest of the UK. I can assure the hon. Member that I and my officials work closely with colleagues across Government, including the MOD and Office of Veterans Affairs, to ensure veterans can access gold standard care irrespective of where they live.

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues about issues affecting Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is lawful under international law. The legal basis on which we are acting is set out in the published statement of the Government’s legal position.

The Northern Ireland Office has contacted the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) who are the relevant body. NICTS stated that cases are not categorised on receipt and as such they are unable to provide figures on the number of civil claims filed relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles in the week ending 21 May.

I can however confirm that four Writs relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles and filed in the period in question have been served on the Northern Ireland Office to date.

The Northern Ireland Office does not hold information on the number of Writs served on others (including other Government departments).

No funding has been allocated by the Government to mark this year’s centenary of the formation of the RUC. Events in Northern Ireland have been arranged locally and by the RUCGC Foundation. Further information may be sought from the PSNI, the RUCGC Foundation or the Department of Justice.

The Government’s preference has always been to move forward on the basis of consensus. That is why we delayed the introduction of this legislation, and why it reflects a number of significant changes from the proposals contained within the Command Paper published last July.

However, it is clear that the people of Northern Ireland have waited too long to see the implementation of effective legacy mechanisms which is why we have brought forward the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill. This legislation seeks to deliver effective outcomes for those most impacted by the Troubles and wider society.

We will, of course, continue to engage with key stakeholders as this legislation makes its way through Parliament.

Ministers and officials have not met with anyone in the last twelve months who has stated that they are attending in their capacity as a representative of the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC).

I attended a meeting on 16 December 2021 where an individual understood to be a member of the LCC was present, but in this instance it was made explicitly clear to all attendees in advance of the meeting that this individual was attending in a different capacity.

The Northern Ireland Office does not have a definitive list of representatives of the LCC, nor does it have set criteria for what constitutes being a representative of that organisation. Furthermore, individuals who Ministers and officials meet as part of routine engagement and outreach may not always be explicit about the capacity in which they are attending those meetings.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill contains provisions which will ensure that biometrics are available for use in future investigations by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) into Troubles-related deaths or serious injuries.

These biometrics will only be retained for a finite period to allow the investigations to be completed, and must be destroyed by no later than the end of a reasonable period after the conclusion of the work of the ICRIR.

Discussions with FIG are being led by Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland. However, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has written to the FIG President to express his concern at the decision not to allow these gymnasts to participate. He has emphasised that this appears to frustrate their birthright to identify and be accepted as British or Irish, or both, and to hold both British and Irish citizenship.

It is the Government’s firm position that, given that these gymnasts were born in Northern Ireland they should be free to compete both for Ireland and the UK as set out in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

I am also aware that colleagues at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are engaging on this issue.

Transport is a devolved matter within the competence of the Northern Ireland Executive. Specific questions on public transport and the bus fleet in Northern Ireland should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure.

Through the New Decade, New Approach agreement, the Government provided £50 million to support low carbon transport in Northern Ireland, enabling the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure to commit to ordering 100 low-carbon buses to be deployed in Belfast and Londonderry.

The Foreign Secretary leads on our negotiations with the EU and she has had extensive exchanges through both informal channels and the structures under the agreement.

We will continue to talk with the EU and our preference remains a negotiated outcome but while the EU discusses their position and their mandate, we will take steps to solve the problems created by the Protocol and restore the Executive. We are not scrapping the Protocol - we are protecting the elements that work and fixing those that don’t. We remain open to discuss any new proposals but we can no longer wait to address the issues we face now.

The Northern Ireland Office shares with the rest of the United Kingdom in celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen and in thanking Her Majesty for 70 years of selfless devotion to duty and leadership of our whole nation. The Northern Ireland Office worked closely to deliver and collaborate on a range of exciting projects and events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. We saw a range of events in Northern Ireland including the lighting of beacons, Jubilee Big Lunches as well as the return of the Northern Ireland annual Garden Party that acted as a moment of celebration in this Platinum Jubilee year for people in Northern Ireland.

We also worked with a range of local organisations to develop a Jubilee hamper which showcased the best of Northern Irish produce and was sent to the Royal Household. We ran an exciting competition for young people to design a rug for Her Majesty and we also worked to profile the many organisations and individuals across Northern Ireland who have been honoured by Her Majesty in her last 70 years. In addition, the commemorative Jubilee book was distributed to Primary Schools across Northern Ireland. We wanted to make sure that the Jubilee brought communities together, celebrating the best of Northern Ireland.

The test for immunity, as set out in the Bill, requires an individual to make an application to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) for immunity. The panel must then be satisfied that the individual has provided an account which is true to the best of their knowledge and belief, and which describes conduct which forms part of the Troubles.

In forming a view on whether an individual’s account is true to the best of their knowledge and belief, the ICRIR must take into account any relevant information that it holds or obtains as part of that investigation. That could include information that the ICRIR obtains from witnesses or from disclosure of information from statutory agencies during the course of its investigation.

Those who do not cooperate with the ICRIR will not be granted immunity, and will remain liable to prosecution should sufficient evidence exist, or come to light.

Only serious or connected Troubles-related offences that took place between 1 January 1966 and 10 April 1998 and are related to a death or serious injury will be eligible for immunity - conditional on cooperation with the Independent Commission as set out in legislation.

Troubles-related offences that are not linked to a death or serious injury will not be investigated by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), and so will not be subject to immunity provisions.

Any offences from between 1 January 1966 and 10 April 1998 which are not Troubles-related could still be investigated by PSNI, or GB police forces.

Investigations are a crucial part of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The ICRIR will, in statute, have the necessary powers to secure information and conduct thorough and robust investigations, including the power to compel witnesses and test forensic evidence.

The legislation also places an obligation on authorities with information potentially relevant to an incident to provide full disclosure to the ICRIR.

The ICRIR will have a Commissioner for Investigations, and the scope of the ICRIR’s investigative process will be an operational matter for the ICRIR, and will depend on the specific circumstances of each case, including whether there is an outstanding ECHR obligation and the wishes of the family or individual.

The Northern Ireland Office held discussions on legacy with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on 14 April 2022. Discussions with the Commission, and other interested parties, will of course continue during passage of the Bill.

This legislation, which had its Second Reading on 24 May, deals with legacy issues in a way that complies with international human rights obligations, supports information recovery and reconciliation, and responds to the needs of individual victims and survivors, as well as society as a whole.

The legislation does not prohibit investigations into those Troubles-related incidents which might engage the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. We will establish the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to conduct investigations into Troubles-related deaths and cases of very serious injury, for the purposes of information recovery.

We have included various measures to ensure the body is equipped with the necessary powers to secure information and conduct thorough, Article 2 compliant investigations.

We are confident that these measures fulfil our Article 2 obligations.

Since January, the Northern Ireland Office has held legacy discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including but not limited to; the Irish Government, representatives of victims and survivors (including WAVE, South East Fermanagh Foundation, the Victims Commissioner, the Victims & Survivors Forum, Ulster Human Rights Watch, Ely Centre), representatives of veterans and former service personnel (including the NI Veterans Commissioner, the Independent Veterans Advisor, the NI Retired Police Officers Association, the Police Federation of NI, COBSEO, the NI Veterans Movement), operational partners and other relevant groups (including PPS NI, PSNI, Operation Kenova, OPONI, NI Human Rights Commission), and other civil and community organisations (including Healing Through Remembering, Corrymeela, Malone House Group, JIGSA, church representatives, the Truth Recovery Process Group).

The Government has also offered to engage with other groups, who have preferred not to engage with us on this issue.

The Northern Ireland Office held discussions on legacy with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on 14 April 2022. Discussions with the Commission, and other key stakeholders, will continue during passage of the Bill.

On 24 March, I made a commitment to return to Parliament after the Assembly election to make regulations on abortion, if no progress had been made by the Northern Ireland Department of Health towards the provision of services.

Regretfully, the Department of Health failed to make progress. That is why, on 19 May, I laid regulations to ensure abortion services are commissioned for women and girls in Northern Ireland. I have made a Written Statement in Parliament to set out the details of those regulations.

These regulations mean that the Department of Health will have no further barriers to commission and fund these services, and if it does not do so as directed, the Government will then move to intervene further.

The Government remains fully committed to supporting veterans living in Northern Ireland and continuing to build on the good progress in delivering the Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Strategy. We are delivering on the Government’s commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, in particular, to ensure that Northern Ireland veterans are treated similarly to their counterparts across the UK.

My Department established and sponsors the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office, which advocates for and assists veterans as they navigate services such as health and social care.

Arrangements for service delivery in Northern Ireland are slightly different from those in other parts of the UK. Many of the service delivery aspects, including health provisions, are devolved.

The Department has taken the definition of professional staff networks to mean voluntary staff networks, including employee networks on Diversity and Inclusion. The Northern Ireland Office currently has the following active networks:

• Staff Engagement Group
• Diversity and Inclusion network
• Culture Club
• Mirror Board

Over the last three years, the Department has also had a Parents’ Group, a Women’s network and a Menopause support group. These groups are not currently active.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has discussions with the Orange Order and a range of other stakeholders and groups in Northern Ireland on a number of matters, including the Northern Ireland Protocol, on an ongoing basis.

Since 1998, Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have been elected using the Single Transferable Vote. This system was also used for the Assemblies elected in 1973 and 1982.

On Tuesday 17 May, the Government introduced the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill in the House of Commons.

The Bill sets out that individuals who were involved in Troubles-related deaths or serious injuries will only be eligible for immunity on the basis of cooperation with a new information recovery body, named the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

On Tuesday 17 May, the Government introduced the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill in the House of Commons.

This legislation will establish a new information recovery body, named the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. This Body will carry out robust and thorough investigations - supported by full state disclosure - for the primary purpose of information recovery, which can potentially deliver better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles.

Candidates in future local government elections in Northern Ireland will not be required to have their home addresses published.

The Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Amendment Order 2020 amended the law in June of that year. Now, candidates for local elections in Northern Ireland who do not want their home address to be made public can instead request the publication of the local government area they reside in.

My Ministerial team, my officials and I have had a number of discussions with the Northern Ireland Minister of Health and his department on these matters.

This week we have again discussed the matter of providing abortion services in Northern Ireland in advance of laying Regulations to ensure these services are provided.

The Written Statement I have made in Parliament today sets out the details of those Regulations and makes clear the intent of the Government to intervene further if the Northern Ireland Department of Health does not commission and fund abortion services as directed.

Today I have laid Regulations to ensure abortion services are commissioned for women and girls in Northern Ireland. I have made a Written Statement in Parliament to set out the details of those regulations.

These regulations mean that the Northern Ireland Department of Health will have no further barriers to commission and fund these services, and if it does not do so as directed, the Government will then move to intervene further.

With reference to my answer of 7 March 2022 to Question 132399 on civil service staff networks, no information is held with regard to (a) the allocation of FTE for these groups. They are staff-led groups and staff contribute as time permits and as part of their wider corporate contribution to the department. In respect of part (b), no budgets are available to recognised staff groups.

The restoration of fully functioning devolved institutions in Northern Ireland remains our top priority. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland remains in close contact with the largest parties in Northern Ireland to encourage them to elect an Assembly Speaker and form a new Executive.

Approximately 269 months have elapsed since the Northern Ireland Executive met for the first time on 2 December 1999 after the signing of the 10 April 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. During that period, there have been approximately 94 months without a fully functioning Executive.

Departmental spend on communications staff was £358,430 in 2019-20, £331,262 in 2020-21 and £564,014 in 2021-22.

The Government is committed to supporting Northern Ireland exporters, who I regularly visit.

Through the New Deal, we have invested £8 million to expand Invest NI’s presence overseas.

I am pleased that exporters, including some who I have visited such as Armagh Cider Company, Mash Direct, and Kiverco, are reaching out to access the specialist support offered by the DIT hub in Northern Ireland, which also includes access to the Export Academy, to help businesses trade globally.

The Government continues to implement the New Decade New Approach agreement and is united around the ambition for a strong functioning Executive delivering a more prosperous, shared future for Northern Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland are going to the polls on 5 May. It is vital that we give people the space to make that choice in an atmosphere of tolerance and respect, to ensure that fully functioning devolved institutions are restored at the earliest possible moment.

The Government continues to implement the New Decade New Approach agreement and is united around the ambition for a strong functioning Executive delivering a more prosperous, shared future for Northern Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland are going to the polls on 5 May. It is vital that we give people the space to make that choice in an atmosphere of tolerance and respect, to ensure that fully functioning devolved institutions are restored at the earliest possible moment.

I can assure my hon. Friend that this Government is taking every opportunity to strengthen Northern Ireland’s place in this United Kingdom.

The Government’s record investment in Northern Ireland proves that we are immeasurably stronger together, including the £15bn Spending Review settlement for the Executive, the largest settlement since devolution in 1998; our ambitious levelling up agenda; and our work to build a safer, more prosperous and integrated future that will benefit the whole community.

My Department is committed to making our estate and operations more sustainable and resilient, and supports, where possible, the delivery of this Government’s Greening Government Commitments. We are a small department, with a low carbon footprint arising from our accommodation and corporate travel requirements, and we choose to act sustainably when conducting every part of our business. As an example, we are taking steps to reduce our carbon emissions by utilising technology to enable virtual meetings rather than staff flying short haul between London and Belfast to attend all meetings face to face.

The people of Northern Ireland are going to the polls on 5 May. It is vital that we give people the space to make that choice in an atmosphere of tolerance and respect, to ensure that fully functioning devolved institutions are restored at the earliest possible moment.

We encourage the parties to form an Executive as soon as possible. The people of Northern Ireland need strong local political leadership and a stable, accountable executive that works with the Government to deliver on the issues that matter most.

The number of staff working to deliver the communications function in the Northern Ireland Office is 13. All are employed on a full-time basis; there are no part-time communications staff. There are communications staff on flexible working arrangements but there are fewer than 5 on this arrangement.

Responsibility for sport policy is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive, with proposals for financial support a matter for the Executive and Tourism NI.

We recognise the importance of events such as these for the Northern Ireland economy, and as part of Northern Ireland’s outstanding tourism offer. Our focus will be on encouraging the parties to form an Executive following the NI Assembly elections so that important decisions, such as proposals for financial support for sporting events, can be made by the Executive on behalf of the people in Northern Ireland.

In the case of the Northwest 200 road races, the organisers have confirmed that the 2022 event will take place on May 8-14 and we wish those taking part and the organisers every success.

The Northern Ireland Protocol as it is currently being implemented is causing real problems for Northern Ireland. An example of this is the decision by at least 200 suppliers in Great Britain to cease delivery to Northern Ireland because of the costs and bureaucracy caused by the Protocol leading to reduced choice on the shelves in Northern Ireland.

The Government has been consistently clear that significant changes are needed if the Protocol is to endure and provide the certainty businesses need and protect the stability of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.