Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Edward Leigh Excerpts
Wednesday 19th November 2025

(1 day, 11 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call the Father of the House.

Edward Leigh Portrait Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con)
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Many thousands of our brave troops served in Northern Ireland, and many gave their lives for peace and for our country. Does the Secretary of State agree that they deserve a permanent memorial, not for some of them to be prosecuted?

Hilary Benn Portrait Hilary Benn
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As I indicated in an earlier answer, there is already a memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum. There are other places in which the service and sacrifice of those who served the state is recorded, including the Royal Ulster Constabulary memorial garden, which I had the opportunity to visit. It was extremely moving to look at all the names and remember the huge sacrifice that all those people made in the defence of freedom in Northern Ireland.