Select committee: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Recommendation 3
Third Report: Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s Past: the Government’s New Proposals (Interim Report)
Published 26 Oct 2020
Paragraph 15
Addressed to Northern Ireland Executive; Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s past: The UK Government's New Proposals All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Committee welcome the Government’s desire to legislate to address the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland. Our predecessor Committee’s inquiry in the previous Parliament identified flaws in the draft Bill which would have prevented its receiving broad support in Northern Ireland. However, the new proposals represent a unilateral and unhelpful departure from the Stormont House Agreement rather than positive and progressive evolution. The Government must, as soon as possible, introduce legislation that is consistent with the six principles of the Stormont House Agreement: • promoting reconciliation; • upholding the rule of law; • acknowledging and addressing the suffering of victims and survivors; • facilitating the pursuit of justice and information recovery; • complying with human rights; and • being balanced, proportionate, transparent, fair and equitable.
From: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Third Report: Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s Past: the Government’s New Proposals (Interim Report) (HC 329), paragraph 15, 26 October 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 January 2021.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says there is room for further constructive dialogue but also "a number of key issues on which we are in agreement" with the Committee, and it commits to continued engagement on legacy reform.
- On information recovery, the government welcomes the Committee's conclusions, says it believes "it is right to focus on information recovery", and says it "carefully considers all options" so any process is "fit for purpose". It "notes" the suggestion that it learn lessons from Operation Kenova.
- On veterans, it welcomes the Committee's recognition that decoupling Northern Ireland legacy issues from the Overseas Operations Bill is right, and says it will deliver on its commitments to NI veterans "as part of a wider package".
- On engagement, it is "in complete agreement" with the Committee that consultation with victims' groups, Northern Ireland parties and, to the extent necessary, the Irish Government should be transparent and meaningful.
- It makes no dated commitment, but says it will intensify engagement with key stakeholders going into the new year and share further details of its proposals "in due course".