Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department has spent on legacy issues in each year since 2010; and how many staff are employed on dealing with such legacy issues.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

It is not possible to provide a breakdown of spend by the Northern Ireland Office on legacy issues annually since 2010 as matters related cut across so many aspects of the Department’s work.

Within the Northern Ireland Office’s Engagement Group there is a Legacy Unit which currently consists of 4 members of staff. This unit deals with a wide range of issues arising from Northern Ireland’s troubled past, including calls for further inquiries and reviews; legal challenges brought in relation to legacy cases; applications for public interest immunity; and compensation for certain miscarriages of justice. In addition, the Legacy Unit oversees the sponsorship of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains.