Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Written Statement of 18 March 2020, HCWS168, Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues, which (a) victims groups and (b) people he has consulted on the content of that statement since that statement was published.

Since the Written Statement of 18 March 2020, HCWS168, Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues, the department has undertaken a number of engagements with groups funded under the Victims and Survivors Service’s Victims Support Programme, at both ministerial and official level. The department has also engaged with the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors, the Victims and Survivors Service Board, and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, as well as a range of individuals from across civic society and academia. Engagement has also taken place with the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland parties.

The UK Government remains committed to making progress on legacy issues as quickly as possible, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recognises the importance of engaging with stakeholders, including victims groups, who represent all parts of the community in Northern Ireland as part of this process.