Northern Ireland Office officials are currently undertaking a consolidation exercise to confirm the answer to these questions. I will write to my Noble Friend once this exercise has been completed.

It is assumed that by ‘letters of comfort’ my Noble Friend means those letters issued under the administrative scheme introduced by the previous Labour Government which were intended to inform individuals that, as at the date of the letter, the recipient was ‘not wanted’ for questioning or prosecution in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK.

Prior to 10 April 1998, no such letters were issued. The first such letters were signed by Mr Jonathan Powell (the then Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff) and were sent to Sinn Féin on 15 June 2000. A total of 156 individual such letters were issued during the scheme, 144 were issued prior to 12 April 2010.

The following table provides more detail of all letters that were issued.

Northern Ireland Office officials are currently undertaking a consolidation exercise to confirm the answer to these questions. I will write to my Noble Friend once this exercise has been completed.

We remain focused on securing the resumption of devolved government in Northern Ireland. However in its absence it is ultimately for the UK Government to provide for political stability and good governance in Northern Ireland. If talks fail in their objectives and no agreement is reached following the Easter recess, we will have to consider a range of options. The Government has, however, been clear that when considering the options available, any form of joint authority would be incompatible with the consent principle committed to in the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on 28 March, at a minimum we would seek to bring forward legislation to set a regional rate to enable collection of the rates to go ahead, and to take steps to provide further assurance around the budget for Northern Ireland.

In March 2014, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland first announced that the administrative scheme established by the former Labour Government into the so-called ‘on the runs’ was at an end. This was repeated in a statement to the House of Commons following publication of a detailed report into the scheme by Lady Justice Hallett in July 2014 (HC Deb 17 July 2014 Col 1040). It was further confirmed in a statement to the Commons on 9 September (HC Deb 9 September 2014, columns 779-789). In her report, Lady Justice Hallett concluded that “The administrative scheme did not amount to an amnesty for terrorists…Suspected terrorists were not handed a ‘get out of jail free’ card”. This Government has always been clear. In May 2010, had we at any time been presented with a scheme that we thought amounted to an amnesty, immunity or exemption from prosecution, we would have stopped it immediately. As far as those who received letters are concerned, the Government made very clear in the statement on 9 September 2014 that “Those who received individual or composite letters, or any other form of indication, stating that they were “not wanted” and who derived comfort from that should cease to derive any such comfort. In short, the recipients should cease to place any reliance on those letters” (Col 779). This Government believes in the application of the rule of law without fear or favour - where there is evidence sufficient to warrant prosecution people will be prosecuted.

Protecting the safety and security of the people of Northern Ireland will always be our first priority.

Prisoners released under the terms of The Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 will have been released on either a Life or a Determinate licence, depending on the sentence handed down by the courts at the time of conviction. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland may suspend the licence of an individual released under the terms of this Act if he believes that the person concerned has broken or is likely to break a condition of the licence, providing the licence handed down by the courts has not expired. Individuals released by the courts on a Determinate licence would be eligible for a licence suspension until the date their licence expires and those released on a life licence will remain eligible for a licence suspension for the remainder of their lives.

The UK Government is focused on securing the resumption of devolved government in Northern Ireland. We do not want to see a return to direct rule. If talks between the parties fail in their objectives, however, we will have to consider all options, as it is the UK Government which is ultimately responsible for political stability and good governance in Northern Ireland. We have made no agreements about the imposition of direct rule with the Irish Government.

The Government has regular meetings with Ministers from the Irish Government.

These discussions cover a wide range of issues which are relevant to the situation in Northern Ireland including on human rights.

The Government is focused on our negotiations with the European Union and getting the right deal for Scotland and the whole of the United Kingdom. We have already committed that no decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them and we will use the opportunity of bringing decision making back to the UK to ensure that more decisions are devolved.

Although the recent talks have not yet delivered a devolved power-sharing Executive in Northern Ireland, the Government’s priority is to see a functioning Executive in place at Stormont.

Under the devolution settlement, the majority of responsibility for language issues rests with the Northern Ireland Executive, including policy relating to the promotion of minority languages.

As the Government has previously made clear it is committed to affording due respect and parity of esteem to the cultural traditions in Northern Ireland.

The Government remains focused on re-establishing an inclusive, devolved government that the overwhelming majority of the people in Northern Ireland want to see. Progress has been made in recent discussions which provide a basis for further intensive discussions to resolve outstanding issues. If these further talks are successful, it would be the Government’s intention quickly to bring forward legislation after the Easter recess to allow an Executive to be formed and avoid a second Assembly election. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will be keeping the situation under close review.

The Belfast Agreement commits the Irish Government to ensuring an equivalent level of protection for human rights in Ireland to that established in Northern Ireland by the Agreement.

As a result of this commitment, the Irish Government established the Irish Human Rights Commission, which in November 2014 merged with the Equality Authority to form the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, like the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, is a UN ‘A status’ accredited National Human Rights Institution, structured and operated in accordance with the Paris Principles.

The commitment to ensure an equivalent level of protection for human rights in Ireland to that established in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Irish Government.

Political stability in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the UK Government. The Government remains focused on securing the resumption of devolved government and the formation of an Executive within the statutory timeframe of 27 March. It is not speculating on any other outcome.

Political stability in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the UK Government. The Government remains focused on securing the resumption of devolved government and the formation of an Executive within the statutory timeframe of 27 March. It is not speculating on any other outcome.

The Government has made a commitment to release surplus government owned property with capacity of at least 160,000 homes and raising at least £5 billion from land and property disposals by 2020.

The details of the government land and property released over the previous financial year will be published as part of the Transparency Review in summer 2017.

There is no amnesty, immunity, or exemption from prosecution. This Government is clear that the rule of law applies to everyone equally and where there is evidence of wrongdoing this should be pursued. The UK Government remains committed to the establishment of the new bodies proposed in the Stormont House Agreement, which will address the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland in ways that are fair, balanced and proportionate.

The Northern Ireland Office does not have any land or buildings which it owns, leases or controls which it is seeking to dispose of.

The issues around the provision of property for sale, jobs and welfare allowances in Ireland are matters for the Irish Government. The UK and Irish governments meet regularly both at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concerns including matters relating to human rights in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

The Government remain fully committed to the Belfast Agreement and its successors. We will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government for a prosperous and peaceful Northern Ireland in the time ahead, with a shared commitment to wanting to avoid a return to the borders of the past and to finding a practical solution to facilitate the continued free movement of people and goods that recognises the unique economic, political and social context of the land border.