Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Swallow Excerpts

Wednesday 21st October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)]

9. What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Defence to support veterans who served in Operation Banner.

[Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife) (Lab)]

10. What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Defence to support veterans who served in Operation Banner.

--- Later in debate ---

[Peter Swallow]

At the heart of this lies a really important principle. Can my right hon. Friend set out why those of us on the Government Benches do not believe it is morally acceptable to offer immunity to terrorists involved in killing not only innocent civilians but, as we have just heard, those brave servicepeople who served their country on Operation Banner?

[Chris Bryant]

One of the reasons we had a manifesto commitment and said this before the last general election was that we believe the legacy Act 2023 was morally and legally deficient—legally deficient as it was struck down in the courts, and morally deficient because it made an equivalence between the lawful action of our armed forces seeking to preserve the peace and the deliberate acts of terrorists. We think that was morally wrong and offensive.