HL Deb 17 June 2002 vol 636 cc65-6WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they have taken following the presentation made in March 2001 by an Luster Scots human rights group concerning the ¼ million movement of population in Northern Ireland. [HL4360]

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)

A copy of the report was sent to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission last year, as requested by the noble Lord, Lord Laird, at a meeting held with George Howarth MP (then Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office). It was the Government's understanding that no formal response was required from us on the matter. However, the Government, take the issues with which the report deals extremely seriously and have taken a number of steps to ensure that people can reside where they wish free from fear or intimidation.

I understand that the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission wrote to the noble Lord on 4 and 14 September 2001 explaining that the commission would consider the issue as part of its work on victims of the past. This work is ongoing.