Northern Ireland Veterans: Prosecution Debate

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Department: Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Veterans: Prosecution

David Reed Excerpts
Monday 14th July 2025

(1 day, 19 hours ago)

Westminster Hall
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Hilary Benn Portrait Hilary Benn
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Legacy is hard. This is the unfinished business of the Good Friday agreement.

David Reed Portrait David Reed (Exmouth and Exeter East) (Con)
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Will the Secretary of State give way?

Hilary Benn Portrait Hilary Benn
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I am afraid that because of the time I am not able to.

That is why, as well as listening carefully to veterans, which we are doing, we also need to listen to the many families who lost loved ones, including the families of British service personnel who served so bravely.

More than 200 families of UK military personnel are still searching for answers about the murder of their loved ones 30, 40 or 50 years ago. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed on 30 April 2024 that it had 202 live investigations into troubles-related killings of members of our armed forces, and a further 33 into the killings of veterans. The following day, on 1 May, each and every one of those investigations was forced to close by the legacy Act.