Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the deadlines for (a) eligibility for back payments and (b) all applications to the Victim Payments Board.

The Victims Payments Regulations (2020) requires the Secretary of State to conduct a review and report on the operation of the scheme between August 2023 and August 2024. These issues - the possibility of extending the periods for backdating payments and for the submission of new applications - will be considered as part of this review. If the Hon Gentleman would like to make his case in correspondence, I will ensure his views are duly considered.