Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of investigations into deaths of British soldiers during Operation Banner which remain outstanding.

Over 250,000 people served in Northern Ireland during Operation Banner, the longest continuous military deployment in our country’s history, the vast majority with courage, professionalism and great distinction. Without their contribution and in so many cases, sacrifices, there would quite simply have been no peace process in Northern Ireland. The status of criminal investigations into the deaths of members of the Armed Forces and others who lost their lives during the Troubles in Northern Ireland is a matter for the independent Police Service of Northern Ireland.