Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on legal costs in cases related to Northern Ireland in each year between 2000 and 2026.

Legal costs for Northern Ireland legacy cases include legal fees and related litigation expenses associated with inquests, judicial reviews, civil claims, criminal investigations and public inquiries. They includecosts directly incurred by the Department and, where applicable, the funding of legal support for veterans involved in such proceedings.

We do not hold central records of total legal costs between 2000 and 2026. Legal spend is dispersed across Ministry of Defence business areas and could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.