Northern Ireland: Legacy of the Past

Debate between Fleur Anderson and Leigh Ingham

Thursday 19th March 2026 Westminster Hall

[Fleur Anderson]

I absolutely agree, and my hon. Friend makes a very good point: this also includes service families. No matter what family someone comes from, it is a huge loss. These are people missing from family tables, about whom there are still questions, and it is a trauma not to know what happened—that is what this legacy legislation aims to resolve. We are so many years on, and there is so much investigating yet to do. I understand that many people simply want to know how their loved ones died.

The ICRIR is taking forward 100 investigations, some of which Peter Sheridan listed in his evidence to the Committee. Those include the deaths of Alexander Millar in 1975; Seamus Bradley, a 19-year-old; Rory O’Kelly in 1977; Kathleen O’Hagan in August 1994, who was seven months’ pregnant, and her baby also died in that attack; James and Ellen Sefton in 1990; and Judge Rory Conaghan in 1974. Those are just some of the people who died—their families have questions, and they are being investigated by the ICRIR.

The commission’s caseload also includes the 1974 Guildford pub bombings, the 1974 M62 coach bombing, the 1976 Kingsmill massacre, and the 1979 Warrenpoint massacre, which was the deadliest attack on British forces during the troubles. We must ensure that those investigations can progress and deliver answers for families, and that all communities can have confidence in the commission, as trust was also a key element of the evidence given in the report.

The last Government’s legacy Act had no support in Northern Ireland, and it is clear why that was the case. It shut down the right of individuals to pursue a civil case, whether against the state or perpetrators of terrorism. It cruelly stopped a number of inquests midway through, and it ended over 1,000 police investigations in Northern Ireland and England, including those into the deaths of more than 200 UK service personnel, as my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) highlighted.

The Act was also widely opposed in Northern Ireland by political parties and victims and families. In November 2025, Sandra Peake—the chief executive of the WAVE Trauma Centre—wrote to all MPs, and she also gave very powerful evidence to the Committee for the report. In her letter to MPs, Sandra said:

“The then Government wanted to draw a veil over the past but there isn’t a veil thick enough to hide the blood and bones of murdered loved ones or to muffle the cries of their families.”

The arbitrary ending of troubles-related inquests, and closing the civil action route to justice, confirmed the belief that the interests of victims were not only not on the agenda, but had not even made it into “Any other business”.

[Leigh Ingham]

I, too, met victims at the WAVE centre when I was on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. When I read the letter that my hon. Friend just mentioned, this comment really resonated with me:

“Whatever the then Government’s intention, the result would have been that terrorists who carried out the most egregious crimes imaginable would be able to walk free if they told their story”.

They felt like that was too much, so does my hon. Friend agree that the Government are right to address this issue for victims who have come forward?

[Fleur Anderson]

I absolutely agree; it was just too much even to ask or encourage more people to come forward—if they did come forward, there would be no justice. The families of victims often see those people in their local supermarket; they are living in their communities, but the families know that there is no hope of them ever having justice. That is too painful to contemplate.

Like the report, I welcome the fact that the Government have taken a very different approach. I know that the Secretary of State engaged widely on the drafting of the Bill with victims’ groups, families, veterans and other affected parties, and I was pleased to play a part in those discussions. The troubles Bill will restore civil cases and enable the resumption of halted inquests. It will mean that legacy cases are dealt with sensitively and efficiently through a reformed legacy commission, with the fullest possible disclosure of information to families. Rather than making false promises to our veterans, as the legacy Act did, the Bill will put in place six genuine protections for any veteran who is asked to give information, and nobody who carried out acts of terrorism will be given immunity.

We should be clear that it was terrorists—the IRA, the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Irish National Liberation Army and the Ulster Defence Association—who were responsible for the vast majority of deaths during the troubles. It is right that where there is evidence of criminality by anyone, those responsible should be held to account. Frankly, it is shocking that many Opposition Members disagree and would prefer to grant immunity to those who carried out the most heinous acts of terrorism on UK soil.

The Government agreed information-sharing commitments with the Irish authorities under the joint framework announced in September. I welcome the fact that the Select Committee visited Ireland before and during the compilation of the report. The agreement is unprecedented and could be hugely significant in enabling answers to be found for families once the new legacy commission is established.

I am glad that the report highlights the powers of the Secretary of State, the definition of a family member, and the need to listen to victims, listen again and keep listening. These are people who have lost trust in the system. Slowly but surely—through the Government’s actions and the actions of organisations such as the South East Fermanagh Foundation, WAVE and so many others working in mental health across Northern Ireland—the trust of families has been built up. But they will need to see good outcomes.

I welcome the increased funding for the commission and the PSNI, and the reiteration of the need for speed in this work. As has been pointed out many times, many of the family members are now elderly. They are seeing out the end of their days and just want the answers they seek in time.

European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism

Debate between Fleur Anderson and Leigh Ingham

Tuesday 11th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Fleur Anderson)]

It is a pleasure to respond to this important debate this evening. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Belfast East (Gavin Robinson) on securing it and on speaking so eloquently and powerfully on what is for so many people a painful and difficult subject.

As the right hon. Member described, acts of terrorism in the United Kingdom have had a devastating and unimaginable impact on the individuals, families and communities affected. Indeed, that violence has been brought to our very doorstep, and we stand in solemn remembrance of the Members of this House taken from us by acts of terrorism while representing their constituents. Most recently, as the right hon. Member mentioned, they include Jo Cox, brutally murdered in 2016, and Sir David Amess, brutally murdered in 2021. Both died while serving their constituents. I knew them both, as the right hon. Member did, and miss them, and I feel their loss very personally. Those whom we have sadly lost to terrorism are forever remembered, by their families, by their loved ones and by a nation that stands still, and importantly stands together, when these tragedies occur.

As the right hon. Member said, acts of terrorism have had a pronounced effect on communities in Northern Ireland, where over 3,000 people were killed by terrorists during the course of the troubles. Behind every individual murder are the countless family members and others whose lives are changed forever by unthinkable loss in heartbreaking circumstances. I have listened to many of those harrowing stories personally.

Recent research reminds us that as many as 30% of people in Northern Ireland have conflict-related trauma, and that this can be passed down the generations, too, and we must never forget that. Thankfully, today Northern Ireland is a place of relative peace and stability. However, the threat from terrorism remains, with the current threat to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism assessed as substantial.

I wish to pay tribute to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the security services that continue to work tirelessly to keep us safe. I had the privilege of attending the Police Federation for Northern Ireland awards last week in Belfast to celebrate and honour the bravery of some of the exceptional officers who put their lives on the line for us every day.

In Northern Ireland, many groups mark a day of reflection on 21 June to acknowledge the pain and suffering caused by the troubles and reflect on what more we can do. Sadly, memorials, remembrance and commemoration can be challenging and even divisive. That is why this Government, in seeking to address the legacy of the troubles, are committed to bringing forward a memorialisation strategy to support inclusive structures and initiatives to help all in Northern Ireland, including future generations, to reflect on those lost. And we will continue to work to support those civil society groups that are working tirelessly to promote reconciliation.

The right hon. Member mentioned SEFF and the WAVE Trauma Centre, which came to Westminster. Many are the subject of portraits in the “Silent Testimony” exhibition by Colin Davidson, which is in the National Portrait Gallery. I recommend Members pay a visit there.

[Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)]

I thank the right hon. Member for Belfast East (Gavin Robinson) securing this debate. As part of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee I met victims from all sides last week, but I especially wanted to highlight the incredible work of WAVE in supporting victims of terrorism. Does the Minister agree that those organisations are crucial for supporting victims from all sides, and we should do all we can to support them?

[Fleur Anderson]

I agree, and I am glad that WAVE and SEFF have been mentioned this evening. NHS services are also vital for specialist trauma counselling, such as the regional trauma network, which I visited with Minister Nesbitt.

On the legacy Act, acknowledging and addressing the suffering of victims of violence was an important aim of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement, but I agree that the task remains incomplete. The Government take their responsibility to victims and survivors of the troubles extremely seriously, which is why we have been working with victims, survivors and all interested parties to correct the mistakes of the last Government, and to put in place measures that will provide answers, accountability and acknowledgment for families who have waited too long already.

In December, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland laid a draft remedial order to correct several of the human rights deficiencies of the legacy Act, including removing the bitterly opposed conditional immunity scheme, which would have granted immunity from prosecution for those who carried out the most appalling terrorist crimes. The Secretary of State will introduce primary legislation that will reform and strengthen the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

The right hon. Member for Belfast East referred to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. The Government was pleased that the ombudsman recently returned to work following an extended period of absence. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the legal proceedings, but for families who are waiting to receive the ombudsman’s reports, I understand the concern and frustration with publication delays. Many families have already encountered too much delay in seeking information and accountability. I know that the ombudsman’s office is doing all that it can to publish reports.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fleur Anderson and Leigh Ingham

Wednesday 26th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Fleur Anderson]

We are working to narrow the range of products that involve a problem, but we are working in respect of each of them as well. The matter is being given consideration in the knowledge that, as the hon. Member has pointed out, the deadline is approaching.

[Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)]

The Windsor framework was a distinct improvement on the old Northern Ireland protocol, but does the Minister agree that if we are to ensure the smoothest possible movement of agrifood products across the Irish sea, it is vital that we secure a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the European Union?

[Fleur Anderson]

I agree that the Windsor framework is a big improvement on the protocol. We are committed to implementing it at the same time as seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement that would provide further improvements in the movement of agrifood products, and we must pave the way to that by resetting our relationship with the EU and implementing the Windsor framework in good faith.