Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
(a) As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024-2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future. Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio- economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers. People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career.
The Northern Ireland Office has not run a GFiE accredited scheme in the last year.
(b) The Northern Ireland Office has not recruited for any internship schemes in the last year.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will publish a list of inquests that could be reopened as a result of repealing the Northern Ireland Legacy Act 2023 and replacing it with the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Under the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill those inquests that had started and were halted by the Legacy Act, of which there are 9, will be able to resume.
All other cases which were in the coronial system but had not commenced (24 in total) will be subject to a decision by the Solicitor General having regard to the statutory criteria as to whether they progress via the coronial system or within the Commission.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of potential claims against former UK armed forces personnel that could be eligible for judicial consideration under the proposals in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Existing civil cases were not barred from proceeding by the Legacy Act. The Government is, by way of a Remedial Order, repealing the retrospective bar on new civil cases and the bar on future civil cases, which has been found to be incompatible with our legal obligations. It is not possible to predict potential future proceedings.
As is currently the case with the ICRIR, the Legacy Commission will be able to investigate, on request, Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries that occurred between 1 January 1966 and 10 April 1998. While it is not possible to predict its future caseload, the vast majority of the Troubles-related deaths, some 90%, were at the hands of paramilitaries.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department will publish an impact assessment for the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Making Legislation makes clear that “Impact Assessments are generally required for all UK government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector and/or civil society organisation or public services”.
As the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial Order) 2025 does not regulate the private sector, civil society organisations or public services, no Impact Assessment has been produced. Parliament will have the ability to debate the impact of the Remedial Order in the usual way.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Oral Statement of 14 October 2025 on Northern Ireland Troubles, Official Report, column 247 and his Department's press release entitled Northern Ireland Troubles Bill to repeal and replace Legacy Act, published on 14 October 2025, if he will confirm that the proposed protections for veterans in (a) that Bill and (b) forthcoming protocols will not extend to alleged paramilitaries.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill includes new protections and safeguards for veterans that were not included in the 2023 Act, and that respond directly to the views expressed by veterans during engagements that the Government has undertaken. The Government is also taking forward some measures on a non-legislative basis. All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.
Some measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans do not have to give unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.
Other measures, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.
The Commission will be under a duty to avoid duplication unless it is considered essential which will apply to all of its investigations. This will ensure that the Commission’s investigations are effective, efficient, and focused on getting answers for families, whilst also protecting veterans from needlessly having to provide information previously covered.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of civil cases expected to be reopened as a result of repealing the Northern Ireland Legacy Act 2023 and replacing it with the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The 2023 Legacy Act did not prohibit Troubles-related civil cases from proceeding, meaning that over 700 cases remain in the judicial system. The Legacy Act’s retrospective bar on new civil cases was found to be incompatible with our human rights obligations, and is being removed via a Remedial Order under the Human Rights Act. It is impossible to predict future proceedings.