Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) support for, and (2) framing of the debate around, terrorists involved in the Troubles in Northern Ireland; and what steps they are taking to work with (a) communities in Northern Ireland, (b) the political representatives of those communities, and (c) representatives of victims of the Troubles, to reduce tensions and aid reconciliation.

The Government remains committed to addressing the legacy of the past in a way that focuses on reconciliation and helping society in Northern Ireland look to the future. Since the publication of the Government’s Command Paper in July, we have engaged bilaterally and multilaterally with stakeholders from Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland on our legacy proposals - including political parties, victims groups and other representatives from across the Northern Ireland community.

The Government continues to engage and reflect on the many different perspectives we have heard, while being clear that we will never accept any equivalence between those who perpetrated violence in Northern Ireland, and those who sought to uphold the law or abide by it.

The Government also continues to invest in social development across Northern Ireland, strengthening social cohesion and building stronger, safer communities, including through the £730 million PEACE PLUS programme announced in September 2021 to support economic stability, peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.