Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 8 May (HL6823), what progress has been made on the independent public history examining UK Government policy in Northern Ireland during the Troubles; and what is (1) the current projected budget for this project, and (2) the timetable for completion.

The Government remains committed to an independent and objective examination of UK Government policy in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and progress continues to be made. Supported by the project’s independent expert advisory panel, the recruitment of a team of historians is now in its final stages, and we expect to make further announcements on this in the near future. The total budget for the project is £3.6 million over its life cycle. The estimated timetable for completion is five years.