Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery

Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee Excerpts

Wednesday 21st May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My Lords, with Stormont up and running, how finances are allocated and spent is a matter for it. That includes the PSNI budget. The noble Baroness will be aware that at the spending review we increased additional security funding for the PSNI for this financial year by £37.8 million. She will be further aware there are ongoing conversations between the NIO and the Northern Ireland Executive about how we can keep working together, but part of this is a question for the Northern Ireland Executive.

[Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I support the question from the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan, and point out to the Minister that there are national security issues that remain the purview of our national Government in dealing with funding. I congratulate the Minister on the many strings to her bow this afternoon. Despite desperate attempts to rewrite the history of Northern Ireland during what were euphemistically called “the Troubles”, I know that she will agree that Northern Ireland society did not break down during that campaign of criminality—not a war—and because of that, the line was held by our security forces and services, and I am proud to be a daughter of the RUC. Given all that, can she give us an update on the stage that the Ministry of Defence is at with the Clonoe inquest review? I understand that the Ministry of Defence was to take judicial review proceedings—could she give us an update on that?