Mark Francois MP: written questions

Written questions

• Terrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54686More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 52588 on Terrorism: Northern Ireland, what his Department's planned timeline is to complete its exploration of lawful measures to prevent (a) Gerry Adams

  Answer: The original Supreme Court ruling in this case was in 2020, and in February 2024 the High Court in Northern Ireland found the provisions in S.46 and 47 of the Legacy Act 2023, which concerned Interim Custody Orders, to be incompatible with the European Co...

  Answered 4 Jun 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Terrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52588More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) Gerry Adams and (b) others interned without trial in the 1970s do not receive compensation following the proposed repeal of sections 46 and 47 of th

  Answer: This is an issue that the previous Government failed to adequately address following the 2020 Supreme Court judgment in Adams. Its belated attempt to do so via an amendment to the Legacy Act has been found by the Northern Ireland courts to be unlawful. Th...

  Answered 20 May 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Terrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47620More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has committed to restoring the Loughall inquest since his meeting with Loughall Truth on 24 March 2025.

  Answer: The Government is committed to repeal and replace the almost universally opposed - and in many respects, unlawful - Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023. As part of this commitment, the Government has been consistently clear th...

  Answered 29 Apr 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023Northern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47619More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which (a) veterans groups and associations and (b) other stakeholder groups his Department consulted before deciding to not to continue the Supreme Court appeal on the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy a

  Answer: In the Dillon and Others case, the Northern Ireland High Court made a number of section 4 Human Rights Act declarations of incompatibility in respect of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. The Government takes its human rig...

  Answered 29 Apr 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Terrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47618More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has made an assessment of the value for money of the cost of public inquires on Troubles-related legacy issues in Northern Ireland in the context of the Northern Ireland Troubles (

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Office works closely with His Majesty's Treasury to ensure value for money for the tax payer on all of the policies it delivers, including public inquiries.

  Answered 29 Apr 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023Northern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47617More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to review the decision not to continue the appeal against the Northern Ireland High Court’s declaration of incompatibility regarding sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (

  Answer: The High Court found sections 46 and 47 of the Legacy Act to be incompatible with the UK’s international human rights commitments. This Government takes such matters extremely seriously, and the provisions therefore need to be repealed. The Government is ...

  Answered 29 Apr 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023Northern Ireland OfficeTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41007More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the (a) financial and (b) legal liabilities of repealing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Act) was almost universally opposed in Northern Ireland. A number of its key provisions, including those relating to the immunity scheme, have been found to be unlawful by the domes...

  Answered 2 Apr 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023Northern Ireland OfficeTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41006More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of repealing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

  Answer: The Government, as part of the King’s Speech, committed to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Act). This legislation, which was taken through Parliament by the previous Government, is almost univer...

  Answered 28 Mar 2025

  Original Parliament record
• Army: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41005More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of restoring the Loughgall inquest.

  Answer: The Government is committed to repeal and replace the almost universally opposed - and in many respects, unlawful - Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Act). As part of this commitment, the Government has been consistentl...

  Answered 28 Mar 2025

  Original Parliament record