Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to assist victims of IRA terrorist attacks where Semtex and weapons were supplied by Libya in securing compensation from the Libyan government; and if he will make a statement.

The issue of provision of assistance to victims of IRA terrorism goes wider than the FCO's remit alone; this answer will therefore focus on the bilateral relationship between the UK and Libya. The UK Government position remains that we are not able to negotiate with the Libyan Government on individual compensation claims, as these are not government-to-government claims. HMG considers these compensation claims to be private matters, best pursued directly with the Libyan Government. We believe that the best approach is to facilitate contacts between victims and the relevant Libyan authorities so that the claims can be settled directly. We continue to emphasise to the Libyan Government the importance we attach to resolution of these matters and continue to raise the issue of compensation to victims of IRA terrorism with the Libyan Government. However, the current instability in Libya has effectively stalled progress on the resolution of legacy issues and rapid progress remains unlikely.