Northern Ireland: Victims Payment Scheme

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

The noble Lord is right. Different parties have been involved in this. I want to make it clear that the UK Government have played a strong role in taking this forward, and I reiterate that the Northern Ireland Executive made certain pledges back in 2014. I also reiterate that it is now up to the Northern Ireland Executive to take this matter forward.

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

My Lords, the Explanatory Memorandum to the Victims’ Payments Regulations states:

“The scheme will take a victim-centred approach”.


We must ensure that that is the case. The Explanatory Memorandum also states that the scheme

“will assist applicants by sourcing relevant evidence”.

That is also important. Further, it is important that the scheme has clear guiding principles and that staff maintain a fair, proportionate and transparent victim-centred approach to meet the needs of victims and survivors effectively. Have these principles been formulated? If so, where can one find them? Finally, what staff, if any, have been recruited so that the funding payments can be issued as soon as this is resolved?

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

The noble Baroness hits directly on the frustrations that we have at the moment. As we know, there is an obligation to set up a board, which, with the individuals appointed to it, will make judgments on the victims and get into the details. However, until we have a designated department and there is a chain reaction to set up these important processes —again, this must be done as a matter of urgency—we will not go forward quickly. We must do so.