Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland's opposition to an amnesty for members of the security forces who served in the Troubles.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Northern Ireland Office recently published a summary report of all responses to the consultation on the Stormont House Agreement proposals to deal with the legacy of the past. The Police Federation’s response, one of the 17,000 received, contained a range of views on addressing the past, including opposition to amnesties. The clear majority of all respondents to the consultation argued that a Statute of Limitations or amnesty would not be appropriate for Troubles-related matters. The Government has always shared the view that amnesties are not the right approach and believes that justice should be pursued.
The Police Federation’s response to the consultation, along with all others, is being taken into consideration as the Government continues to work with people in Westminster and Northern Ireland to find a fair way forward on this issue.