The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 17 Dec 2024 Parliament page
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is launching an inquiry into Government policy on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland. On 4 December 2024, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced the Government’s next steps to ‘repeal and replace’ the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. … Read more
15 Recommendations
12 Conclusions
1 Report
7 Oral sessions
4 Letters
7 Events
Activity timeline 20 events
12 Feb
2026
Report published
10 Dec
2025
Correspondence
1 Dec
2025
Report published
26 Nov
2025
Correspondence
5 Nov
2025
Oral evidence
5 Nov
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
17 Sep
2025
Correspondence
3 Sep
2025
Oral evidence
3 Sep
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
12 Jun
2025
Correspondence
21 May
2025
Oral evidence
21 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 7 sessions
5 Nov 2025
View on parliament.uk
Alyson Kilpatrick · Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission David Johnstone · Office of the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner Joe McVey · Commission for Victims and Survivors Northern Ireland
3 Sep 2025
View on parliament.uk
Julie Harrison · Northern Ireland Office Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP · Northern Ireland Office Sharon Carter · Northern Ireland Office
21 May 2025
View on parliament.uk
Louise Warde Hunter · Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) Peter Sheridan CBE · Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) Sir Declan Morgan · Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) Steven Bramley CBE · Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR)
7 May 2025
View on parliament.uk
Axel Schmidt · Ulster Human Rights Watch Chris Albiston · Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association Dave Holmes · Northern Ireland Veterans Movement David Johnstone · Office of the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner
23 Apr 2025
View on parliament.uk
Baroness Nuala O'Loan · House of Lords Claire McGuigan · Police Service of Northern Ireland Jon Boutcher · Police Service of Northern Ireland Sir Iain Livingstone · Operation Kenova
19 Mar 2025
View on parliament.uk
Alan Brecknell · Pat Finucane Centre Dr Sandra Peake · Wave Trauma Centre Kenny Donaldson · South-East Fermanagh Foundation
26 Feb 2025
View on parliament.uk
Alyson Kilpatrick · Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Daniel Holder · Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) Professor Anna Bryson · Queen's University Belfast
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report – The Government's new approach to addressing the leg… HC 586 1 Dec 2025 27 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
1 result
Clear
16 Recommendation Deferred
2nd Report – The Government's new …
Inadequate funding for Troubles Bill legacy mechanisms risks failure to deliver truth and justice.
All the reform, goodwill and political impetus in the world will not lead to truth and justice if there is not enough money–either for investigatory or information-disclosing bodies. Despite the initial £250 million allocation to legacy mechanisms, this funding pot … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates its £250m funding commitment for legacy mechanisms, but redirects responsibility for PSNI funding and its allocation to the Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Northern Ireland Office
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 15 classified
Accepted 8
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 11
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 2
Total 15 recs + 12 conclusions
Correspondence 4 letters
10 Dec 2025 Correspondence with SoS NI relating to legacy, dated 03 Dec 2025 and 15 Sept 2025
Parliament page
26 Nov 2025 Correspondence from the Secretary of State relating to funding for legacy mechanisms, dated 20 November 2025.
Parliament page
17 Sep 2025 Correspondence with the Secretary of State, relating to an announcement about Government policy on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland, dated 17 September 2025.
Parliament page
12 Jun 2025 Correspondence to the Secretary of State, relating to legacy, dated 11 June 2025.
Parliament page