§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 3 July,Official Report, columns 4777–8, what payments have been made by the Royal Ulster Constabulary to Mr. Lindsay Robb; and on what dates. [38511]
§ Sir John WheelerIt is not appropriate to comment on specific instances in which payments are made under the witness protection scheme. In no circumstances is payment offered as an inducement in return for the giving of evidence. However, it is an unfortunate fact of life, not unique to Northern Ireland, that people who are prepared to perform their public duty in giving evidence of wrongdoing can, on occasion, be subjected to threat and intimidation. In such cases, it is appropriate that protection should be given to those who are prepared to make such a commitment. This protection may include the relocation of the individual and his or her family away from their original home, and involve payments to reimburse them for additional expenses incurred, or to enable them to maintain a standard of living equivalent to that enjoyed prior to any forced relocation.