Oral Answers to Questions

Paul Foster Excerpts

Wednesday 7th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Luke Akehurst (North Durham) (Lab)]

2. What steps he has taken to engage with relevant stakeholders on the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

[Mr Paul Foster (South Ribble) (Lab)]

9. What steps he has taken to engage with relevant stakeholders on the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)]

I regularly meet a variety of stakeholders to talk about the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, including veterans groups, political parties in Northern Ireland, and victims and families who are still living with the effects of those decades of terrible violence.

[Hilary Benn]

I am very happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance. I did indeed meet the Special Air Service Regimental Association recently, as part of the discussions that I and my colleagues in the Ministry of Defence are having with veterans. We are listening to the concerns being expressed and, as I have said to the House on a number of occasions, we want to ensure that the legislation responds to them.

[Mr Foster]

Under the previous Government’s unlawful Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Police Service of Northern Ireland was required to shut down more than 1,000 investigations, including 225 investigations into the deaths of soldiers and veterans. Will the Secretary of State please assure the families of murdered British armed forces personnel that, should they wish to approach the reformed commission, it will consider their case and may be able to provide them with the answers that many of them have long sought?

[Hilary Benn]

My hon. Friend is quite right to draw attention to one of the implications of the 2023 legacy Act in shutting down all those investigations. He is right that families are perfectly free to refer cases to the commission. I know that the commission is keen to investigate as many cases as come its way, in order to provide answers for those families, who have waited so long.