Lewis Atkinson
Main Page: Lewis Atkinson (Labour - Sunderland Central)Department Debates - View all Lewis Atkinson's debates with the Northern Ireland Office
(1 day, 19 hours ago)
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Lewis Atkinson (Sunderland Central) (Lab)
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and for the way he and the Minister for the Armed Forces have engaged on this matter in recent months. I have many constituent veterans in Sunderland Central who served with distinction in Operation Banner; the Secretary of State rightly praised the professionalism and service of our armed forces in that operation, and I welcome the protections he has set out today. May I press him a bit more on the need for continuing work with veterans groups, so that as the protections are being implemented there will be a process of ongoing review to ensure that they provide effective protection from vexatious lawfare?
Hilary Benn
I am very happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance. We have made these commitments because we want them to work, and the Government are determined to ensure that that is the case.