Autumn decision for Eames-Bradley proposals
A DECISION on whether the Government will adopt the controversial Eames-Bradley recommendations should be made by September, a senior MP has said.
Sir Patrick Cormack, the Conservative chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, said that he expected his committee to report to Secretary of State Shaun Woodward before Parliament breaks up for the summer.
Sir Patrick said that he expected Mr Woodward to then make a decision by September.
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee had been due to grill Secretary of State Shaun Woodward on Wednesday on the Consultative Group on the Past's report.
But the event has now been twice postponed and a date has not yet been set for Mr Woodward to appear before the committee.
"We have still got several other lots of witnesses to see and we then have to see the Secretary of State. Then we have to deliberate and produce a report," he said.
"The Secretary of State has promised that he will not make any final decisions on anything until he's seen our report.
"We will be publishing something before the House rises for the summer recess which means that I would hope that we would have a response from the Secretary of State probably early in September or maybe even before then; that's the sort of timetable, but one cannot be absolutely sure."
Mr Woodward has already indicated that he will not implement the most controversial of the Eames-Bradley proposals, that the families of anyone killed during the Troubles — including terrorists killed while planting their own bombs — receive a 12,000 payment.
An NIO spokesman said: "When the Secretary of State appeared before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on April 1, 2009, he said that the Consultative Group had made 'some very significant proposals amongst the 31 recommendations that we will want to take forward'.
"He also said that 'the spirit of dialogue and talking is fundamental in putting anything together, and in that sense speed is not of the essence – getting it right is of the essence'.
"The Secretary of State is in the process of actively considering how Northern Ireland can come to terms with the legacy of the past and has agreed with the committee to reschedule his appearance."
Meanwhile, victims commissioners Patricia MacBride, Brendan McAllister, Bertha McDougall and Mike Nesbitt are to give evidence on the Eames-Bradley report to the committee on Wednesday, it has been confirmed.
On the same day, the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers' Association will also give evidence to the committee.
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