Speeches by Benn.

“Pardon?”

“I am only too aware of the history, but that is the first point: no Minister can pass to anyone else responsibility for the protection of life and national security. We have to be quite clear about that, and that is something that all Governments recognise, as far as I am aware. Secondly, we are making a number of chan…”

“The first thing I would say is that all Ministers have responsibility for national security. I cannot think of a state in the world, and that includes Ireland—”

“I have not got that figure with me.”

“That goes in, but there will be a work programme going forward, and that will have to involve some additional resources, depending on the number of cases it gets, because this is demand-led.”

“We will find it out and send it to you, if that is okay.”

“I would not say it resets its budget. There is a sum of money that we inherited previously—”

“This is the case currently, and that is another misunderstanding about the current ICRIR. It already has the capacity, if it encounters evidence that it might think capable of leading to prosecution, to pass that over to the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland, and the Public Prosecution Service looks at tha…”

“That is a really important question. The Government are allocating £250 million to the work of the commission, but a bit of that will apply to part 4 of the existing Legacy Act. Let me take this opportunity to make it clear: part 4 of the 2023 Act remains. People look at the Bill and say, “What’s happened to part 4?” I…”

“That is reassuring.”

“That is a very good question. I would have thought that that would be welcomed—that somebody would not be capable of being appointed where others may perceive that it seems like a conflict of interest. We will have to work out in the appointment process exactly how that provision is applied. It is something for the pan…”

“Yes, we can. Simon Harris himself has said that the MoU is in place, and they have committed to passing legislation to enable witnesses to come and give evidence to Omagh in time for the next session, which I understand starts in March. So that is a commitment that they have given, and I am sure that, in line with all …”

“In terms of the commissioner roles and the two co-directors of investigation, it will be a new start. I will review the job descriptions. There will be an invitation for applications. Those who are currently serving are of course perfectly free, as I think I said to you, to apply if they wish to do so. With the taking …”

“That is a very important question. As you will be aware, the ICIR was the subject of the last agreement that was reached between the UK and Irish Governments back in 2014 in Stormont House. What is the purpose of the ICIR? It is to say: might there be another means by which people are prepared to come forward and say w…”

“I have had many such discussions, as I indicated in my statement to the House yesterday, and those have informed the package of veterans protections contained in the Bill, which the Government have set out.”

“There certainly will, because with the commission as it is now and with the commission as it will be reformed by the troubles Bill, any incident relating to the troubles anywhere in the United Kingdom can be referred into the commission. The M62 coach bombing, the Kingsmill massacre and the Warrenpoint massacre are all…”

“The 2023 legacy Act was rejected by our domestic courts, as well as by victims and survivors across Northern Ireland, not least because it proposed giving immunity from prosecution for the most appalling terrorist crimes. Any incoming Government would have had to fix this mess, and that is what this Government are seek…”

“The Government are absolutely committed to the European convention on human rights. I very much regret that the current Opposition have moved away from that historic support, which goes right back to Winston Churchill, as the hon. Member has set out. It is highly irresponsible to suggest picking away at one of the esse…”

“That is no doubt an issue that the House will discuss as the Bill is considered in detail. I think that “compelling” and “essential” is a pretty high bar. It will be for the commission to interpret that, but no doubt we will continue to discuss it.”

“The clauses that would implement the protections in relation to veterans and others are clauses 30, 31, 36, 51, 54, 56, 69 and 84.”