Oral Answers to Questions

Maria Caulfield Excerpts

Wednesday 14th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con)]

5. What recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Northern Ireland.

[Maria Caulfield (Lewes) (Con)]

9. What recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Northern Ireland.

[Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

11. What recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Northern Ireland.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs Villiers]

I can give my hon. Friend the assurance that the needs of victims and survivors of the troubles will always be at the forefront of this Government’s approach to the troubles and the Stormont House agreement Bill. That is why absolutely no provision is made in the Bill for an amnesty, which would be completely unacceptable to victims and survivors, just as it is unacceptable to this House. We will press ahead with measures to implement the bodies on the past in the Stormont House agreement.

[Maria Caulfield]

Does the Secretary of State agree that it would be helpful to have cross-party agreement in this place on our stance against terrorism in order to show our support for the Northern Ireland Executive?

[Mrs Villiers]

That is important. For the most part, that view is shared across the House. It is obviously of grave concern that the leader of the Labour party, when asked as recently as this August to condemn IRA terrorism, said that he condemned the actions of the British Army in Northern Ireland.