Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2018 to Question 120790, what the timescale is for the publication of the consultation on legacy issues in Northern Ireland.

Since my appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I have been deeply moved by the stories I’ve heard about the suffering that victims and survivors of the Troubles have experienced. The UK Government has a duty to move forward on this important issue so that victims and survivors are able to get the progress they have been seeking for such a long time. The Government wants to consult soon, with the aim of building support and confidence in the new legacy institutions from across the community. The best way to do that is off the back of an Executive being formed, but if that does not prove possible we do need to make progress.