Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 14 July (HC Deb, cols 389–91) on prosecutions relating to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, what assessment they have made of the implications of their proposals for (1) Operation Kenova, and (2) any referrals for prosecution to the Public Prosecution Service arising from its investigations.

The Government recognises the positive achievements of Operation Kenova in terms of building relationships with victims and survivors, and helping them to understand the circumstances around what happened to their loved ones.

However, it is clear that with the passage of time, the chances of successful prosecution from even the most robust of investigations is vanishingly small.

That is why, as outlined in the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s oral statement of 14 July and in the command paper published afterwards, the Government wants to move away from a focus on criminal justice outcomes - which is delivering for nobody - and instead focus on effective information recovery and reconciliation measures.

The Government’s proposals are intended to inform ongoing intensive engagement with the Irish Government, Northern Ireland parties and other stakeholders with an interest in this issue. All elements of these proposals - including their practical application - are subject to ongoing consideration and discussion.