Northern Ireland Troubles: Operation Kenova Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Troubles: Operation Kenova

Carla Lockhart Excerpts
Tuesday 9th December 2025

(1 day, 7 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Carla Lockhart Portrait Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

The Secretary of State needs to go further. Several Members have pressed him on this point, but he still has not explicitly told the House. Given the extensive scrutiny directed at alleged agents within the UK establishment, what demands has the Secretary of State made of the Irish Government to disclose the extent and details of agents operating within the republican movement, particularly in the light of the irrefutable evidence of collusion that enabled the murder of RUC officers, UDR members and Protestant civilians, particularly in the border areas? Unlike the Secretary of State, I am not prepared to accept their say-so when for decades they have covered up, housed and protected terrorists, and denied innocent victims truth and justice.

Hilary Benn Portrait Hilary Benn
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

In the light of what the hon. Member has just said, I hope that she would welcome the commitments that the Irish Government have given—

Carla Lockhart Portrait Carla Lockhart
- Hansard - -

indicated dissent.

Hilary Benn Portrait Hilary Benn
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

She shakes her head, but she is saying—[Interruption.] Well, the past and what happened or did not happen in Ireland is a matter for the Irish state to deal with, but I hope the hon. Member would welcome the commitments that have been given to co-operate to the fullest possible extent with the new Legacy Commission, which is not the case in relation to the current commission established by the legacy Act, for reasons of which she and the whole House will be well aware. Whatever happened in the past, the most important thing is that we enable families who are still waiting for answers to get access to all the information that is available now. That is what the Irish Government are committed to.