Member

However, we will never, ever know the extent of what went on unless we have full and complete inclusion in law for everybody, as it should be. That will involve the Government owning up to some pretty insidious things. The hon. Member for North Northumberland (David Smith), who is my colleague on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, said yesterday that he wanted to start by saying sorry. A former Taoiseach said the exact same thing to me: should we start by saying sorry? I do not think that that is a bad place to start—although I know some people will. It is not the role of this House to stop such an attempt. People recognise that through the passage of time and everything else, it will be highly unlikely that they will get any sort of justice through criminal proceedings, but they want that acknowledgment. I think sorry is a good place to start, but it can only be done if we have the truth.