Speeches by Benn.

“Well, I cannot speak for the Executive. I find it a little hard to understand where the question is coming from. Why would they not want to accept it?”

“Additional to?”

“My understanding is that it is additional funding for the purposes of Casement.”

“I would need to go away and check. Has the Northern Ireland Executive been able to take up such financial transaction capital as has been offered to it previously? I do not know the answer to that. I will go away, check, and respond to the Committee, if I may.”

“I take the point that you are making.”

“I am not aware; you would have to ask them that question. I have obviously spoken to lots of people about it, in making the argument that we should make a contribution. I know that there has been some comment on funding for other sports. The Belfast Telegraph had a very interesting piece that pointed out that since 202…”

“The fact is, looking backwards, there has been an underfunding, if you want to look at it that way. Some people want to look at it going forwards, but I think that it is perfectly reasonable. Given that all of that money has gone directly into sport and other leisure facilities in Northern Ireland, it is right and prop…”

“I would say this in response to the important point you have raised. First, of course it is important that all police forces, including in Northern Ireland, reflect the populations that they serve. Secondly, it would be a matter for the Executive, the Department of Justice and the Policing Board to decide whether they …”

“What lesson do I draw from that? Many people say, and quite rightly, they should have left the stage a long time ago, but they have not, and they continue to oppress communities and engage in rampant criminality. It is for the forces of law and order to catch those responsible and bring them before the judicial process…”

“The police and the criminal justice system are very serious about catching people engaged in criminality. You require the evidence to be able to do that. It is not about one or the other; if people are engaging in criminality, they should be pursued and if the evidence can be found they should be prosecuted and subject…”

“I have no greater knowledge than you or the other members of the Committee. I was referring to a clip I saw of the First Minister and what has been reported in the newspapers. Chair, you began the line of questioning by saying that there had been a development over the weekend. Assuming that the reporting of £200 milli…”

“I am aware of nothing beyond what I have told the Committee.”

“Thank you for the letter that you wrote to me. When I read it and looked back at some of your evidence sessions on the legacy question, it very much reflects what I have heard in all the numerous meetings I have had with party leaders, victims and survivors’ groups, voluntary organisations, veterans and others. I have …”

“The Government have a clear commitment to repealing and replacing the Legacy Act. It was in our manifesto and the King’s Speech. Of course, we are talking across Whitehall in implementing that policy. I have set out pretty clearly what I am seeking to do: first, through the remedial order, finally putting an end to imm…”

“I do intend—I told the House of Commons this back in December—to change the disclosure arrangements, to make them more akin to what applies, say, in a public inquiry. That was the comment of the court in the Dillon judgment—it said it looks different. I am therefore looking at proposals to make it more akin so that tha…”

“The Government have no plans to do that because that is the cut-off date to which we have been working. Obviously, we have the Omagh inquiry, which relates to the appalling, shocking murder of so many people after that date. We are not proposing to do that because there would then be other cases. People would say, “Can…”

“We have started drafting. We need to get all the areas of policy agreed, and then everybody recognises the need to get the legislation published as quickly as possible—one reason, among many others, is that I am being asked, “What are you going to do?” It is a very complex process because, basically, this Government ar…”

“I am not aware that there is such unanimity.”

“That is a hypothetical question. There is not currently. The second point is that there is a public inquiry going on. I am not quite clear why that argument is being put. What would the commission be meant to do in relation to the Omagh bombing while a public inquiry was being undertaken into the Omagh bombing?”

“I come back to my point. I do not see how you can have two different organisations investigating the same atrocity at the same time—genuinely. That is why there is a public inquiry and my predecessor, Chris Heaton-Harris, decided to announce it. I would say that the memorandum of understanding that has been reached bet…”