Baroness O'Loan (CB)

My Lords, noble Lords will forgive me as we start again down this road of dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. I feel again the trauma of the bomb which took my unborn baby’s life, and I find it very difficult. We have to think very carefully here. I would like to say that I accept and value the contribution made by the military and all the other security forces in Northern Ireland. My own family served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. But given the fact that 25,000 to 30,000 paramilitaries were convicted, as opposed to three members of the military who were convicted during the Troubles, and given the fact that one person from the military has been convicted in the 28 years since the Good Friday agreement, is it perhaps time to refocus? I hear constantly about the veterans, and I know how important it is, but is it not important not to make the victims the afterthought—the last reference in every case? Is it also not important that we look at the things that will enable them to have confidence in the new legacy commission? The noble Lord, Lord Alton, referred to the findings of the May report, which referred to the very significant structural weaknesses as a consequence of the Troubles Act 2023. I hope that the Minister will ensure that those structural weaknesses are removed in the new Troubles Bill. Although she told one noble Lord that the remedial order will be introduced but she cannot say when, can she write to us and tell us when it will happen, and can she tell us when the Troubles Bill will come back to the Commons? These things need to be dealt with.