Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
LabourMP for Leeds South
“The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will establish a reformed, human rights-compliant Legacy Commission to carry out investigations and provide answers on behalf of families who have waited too long, enable information sharing by the Irish a…”
“I wish to inform the House that the report of the Robert Hamill Inquiry, originally chaired by Sir Edwin Jowitt and now by Sir John Evans, will be published shortly after the summer recess, subject to Parliamentary timetabling.…”
“I join others in congratulating the Chair of the Select Committee, my honourable Friend the Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi), on having secured this extremely important, timely and useful estimates debate and on the work she does to scru…”
“In my response to yesterday’s Urgent Question, I committed to provide the House with a further update on the facts surrounding the horrific attack in north Belfast on 8 June.…”
“I am grateful to the right honourable Gentleman for his question. Shortly after 10.30 pm last night, a man in his 40s was subjected to a horrific, sustained knife attack on a street in north Belfast. He is in hospital in a serious condition…”
“I am making this Written Ministerial Statement following the findings of the Springhill inquest, which investigated the 1972 killings at Springhill and Westrock of Father Noel Fitzpatrick, Patrick Butler, Margaret Gargan, David McCafferty, …”
“Before answering, I pay tribute to Sir Desmond Rea who died recently. He played an important role in the peace process in Northern Ireland, particularly through the transformation of policing as the first chair of the Northern Ireland Polic…”
“The UK Government’s legislative programme for the second session was set out at the State Opening of Parliament on 13 May 2026. This statement summarises the programme and how it applies to Northern Ireland. It does not include Law Commissi…”
“I made a written ministerial statement on 15th April about Peter May’s Review into the corporate effectiveness and cultural health of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). In that statement, I commi…”
“With permission, I will make a statement on the recent Supreme Court judgment in the case of Dillon and others. It is a complex judgment, but I thought it right to come to the House at the first available opportunity to summarise its main f…”
“I beg to move, That if, at the conclusion of this Session of Parliament, proceedings on the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill have not been completed, they shall be resumed in the next Session. This motion will enable the House to progress the…”
“I am grateful to the honourable Member for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) for her question. Shortly before 11 pm on Saturday 25 April, a vehicle was abandoned just outside the front gate of the Police Service of Northern Ireland station at …”
“I wish to update the House on the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill (“The Troubles Bill”) and the Government’s commitment to put in place legislation to address the legacy of that terrible period in our history.…”
“The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) commenced its work in May 2024 under the last government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. Since then, under the leadership of Si…”
“The role of the Independent Reviewer of National Security Arrangements in Northern Ireland is to monitor compliance with Annex E of the St. Andrews Agreement 2006, reviewing the relationship between MI5 and PSNI in handling national securit…”
“I join you, Mr Speaker, in your tribute to Liam Laurence Smyth, and I wish the honourable Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) a very happy birthday. The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will establish a reformed, human rights compliant and in…”
“On 11 September 2024, I announced the establishment of an independent statutory inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane in February 1989, under the Inquiries Act 2005. This decision was in response to the 2019 judgment of the Supreme Co…”
“The Government are supporting Northern Ireland through the four city deals, the local innovation partnerships fund, an enhanced investment zone and greater economic stability. Economic activity in Northern Ireland increased by 2.9% over the…”
“I wish to provide an update to the House regarding the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 (‘the Act’).…”
“I beg to move, That the draft Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025, which was laid before this House on 14 October 2025, be approved. As every one of us knows, Northern Ireland continues to li…”
“I regularly meet a variety of stakeholders to talk about the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, including veterans groups, political parties in Northern Ireland, and victims and families who are still living with the effects of those decades o…”
“I would like to make a statement to the House regarding the Supreme Court judgment today in the Thompson case.…”
“I am grateful to the honourable Gentleman for his question. This remedial order is a clear signal of the Government’s commitment to legislation that can command support across Northern Ireland. Its purpose is clear: to formally remove some …”
“Following the Northern Ireland Assembly's democratic consent motion on the trading arrangements under the Windsor Framework, on 9 January 2025 I commissioned Lord Murphy of Torfaen to lead an Independent Review on those arrangements. I rece…”
“I am making this Written Ministerial Statement following the publication of the Operation Kenova Final Report earlier today.…”
“I have received the eighth substantive report from the Independent Reporting Commission, and have laid a copy before the House.…”
“I am grateful to the right honourable Gentleman for his question. I inform the House that I will lay a written ministerial statement on this matter later today. Operation Kenova has published its final report, which covers the activities of…”
“I have met a range of businesses and representative bodies, including the Federation of Small Businesses and the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group, to discuss supply chains and how the Government could improve guidance and supp…”
“In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the detention of Gerry Adams - who was interned in July 1973 - was unlawful because the Interim Custody Order was not personally signed by William Whitelaw, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a…”
“I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. On 11 June 1966, a 28-year-old storeman, John Patrick Scullion, was shot dead on the doorstep of his home in west Belfast by the Ulster Volunteer Force. It is regarded by many as the f…”
Create a free account to read the full debates — and get an email the moment Hilary next speaks in the House.
Follow Hilary Benn →Read on Verbatim