Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Written Statement of 11 May on Update on the Implementation of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, HCWS767, if he will set out the process by which staff appointments were made to the secretariat of the Commission; and whether such staff remain employees of his Department.

As set out at the time of the announcement that the Rt Hon Sir Declan Morgan had been identified, and in line with the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Guidance, a dedicated secretariat, supporting the preparatory work being undertaken by Sir Declan, has been established as a separate business unit of the Northern Ireland Office. It has a separate budget and staffing and does not report to Northern Ireland Office Ministers.

Civil Servants are appointed in line with the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. As with all civil servants, those working in the secretariat must adhere to the requirements of the Civil Service Code to act with honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity.

On legal establishment, the ICRIR will - as it sees fit - be able to employ persons to be officers of the ICRIR and/or make arrangements for persons to be seconded to serve as officers of the ICRIR.