Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department held a pre-publication briefing of the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework with representatives of the Alliance Party.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As stated previously, the Northern Ireland Office speaks to parties regularly and does not give a running commentary on those discussions.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Troubles-related civil suits against government departments were stopped by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023; what legal categories they fall under; and whether they will all be permitted to continue after the enactment of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Existing civil cases were not barred from proceeding by the Legacy Act. The Government is, by way of a Remedial Order, repealing the retrospective bar on new civil cases and the bar on future civil cases, which was found to be incompatible with our human rights obligations.
It is right that citizens in all parts of the UK have the right to bring a civil case, and these are not necessarily cases against government departments. For example, four individuals were found responsible for the Omagh bombing in the civil courts in 2009.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on veterinary medicine access.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government has engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive extensively on the issue of veterinary medicine access. This includes through the Veterinary Medicines Working Group, which I co-chair and which is also attended by Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA.
The working group has met five times under this Government, most recently on 15 October. We are looking to convene the next meeting before the end of the year and intend to meet again early in 2026. I am grateful for the constructive and positive contributions that Minister Muir has made on this work. In addition, officials in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Cabinet Office regularly engage with DAERA officials on this issue.
Furthermore, in June this year, the Government published its position with regards to the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland, including its assessment that the vast majority of authorised medicines will continue to be supplied, and set out two new schemes to address any supply gaps.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on preventing the politicisation of sport in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I meet frequently with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on a range of issues. I have visited a number of sporting projects and organisations across Northern Ireland, most recently meeting with Down GAA and the Irish Football Association. Sport has a great ability to unite people and to bring young people from different backgrounds together. I commend and support all those working in Northern Ireland who are working in pursuit of this goal.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which of the six protections, rights and safeguards announced by the Ministry of Defence on 19 September for veterans who served in Northern Ireland are featured in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill; which will not feature in the legislation; which will be exclusive to soldiers and police officers; and which will have universal application.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.
Measures set out in the legislation, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.
Some other non-legislative measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans do not have to give unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of legal fees for Troubles-related civil suits stopped by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023; what is the likely compensation; and whether new troubles civil suits will be permitted after the implementation of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Existing civil cases were not barred from proceeding by the Legacy Act.
In terms of future cases, the Remedial Order will repeal the retrospective bar on new civil cases and the bar on future civil cases, which has been found to be incompatible with our legal obligations. It is not possible to predict potential future proceedings.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the co-directors of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be required to take decisions jointly.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill sets out specific circumstances in which the Directors must act jointly. These include clause 29 (deciding the form and manner in which requests for investigations are to be made), clause 30 (accepting and rejecting requests for investigations), clause 32 (power of the Directors of Investigations to initiate investigations), and clause 35 (determining the order in which investigations are to be carried out).
Other clauses in the Bill set out the circumstances in which the Director allocated an investigation should act alone. These include clauses 33 (notifying family members and others about new investigations), clause 36 (determining whether the investigation should be carried out as a criminal investigation etc), and clause 37 (notifying family members and others about the conduct of investigations).
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether one of the appointments to co-directors of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be from outside the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Clause 5 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill stipulates that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland must appoint two persons to be Directors of Investigations of the Legacy Commission. In exercising this power, the Secretary of State must, so far as practicable, ensure that one of the Directors has experience of conducting criminal investigations in Northern Ireland, and the other Director does not have that experience, but has experience of conducting criminal investigations outside Northern Ireland.
The legislation does not stipulate that one of the co-directors must be from outside of the United Kingdom.
Clause 9 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill requires appointments of the Directors for Investigations to be made following consultation with relevant individuals, in order to inform the appointments process. It also requires me to publish details of who will be consulted.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are their reasons for making the draft Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025 instead of using primary legislation; and why the changes proposed in the Remedial Order cannot be incorporated in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Remedial order will provide clarity as quickly as possible, and correct incompatibilities identified by the Northern Ireland courts, especially on two issues of significant public interest i.e. the removal of the immunity provisions and the removal of the bar on Troubles-related civil cases.
Providing clarity on these matters via the Remedial Order allows us to increase trust in the Commission.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the co-directors of the proposed Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will have the powers of a constable.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Clause 12 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill stipulates that a Director of Investigations is designated as a person having the powers and privileges of a constable.
Under clause 12, a Director of Investigations may designate any other Legacy Commission officer as a person having the powers and privileges of a constable, if they are satisfied that the Legacy Commission officer; a) is capable of effectively exercising those powers and privileges, b) has received adequate training in respect of the exercise of those powers and privileges, and c) is otherwise a suitable person to exercise those powers and privileges.