Anger over secret William Shawcross report for victims of Gaddafi- IRA terrorism and Libya supplied Semtex
The government has been slated for sitting on a secret report for five years which recommended the Prime Minister secure compensation for victims of Gaddafi-IRA terrorism.
Sir William Shawcross said in his report – partially released on Monday – that the prime minister should lead a scheme, in which the Treasury arranges compensation, potentially using the tax (understood to be some £5m per year) from the £12bn of Libyan assets frozen in the UK.
Shawcross was commissioned by the government in 2019 to compile a report on the subject of compensation for UK victims of Gaddafi-sponsored IRA terrorism.
It was commissioned after continued pressure by victims of weapons supplied to the IRA by Libyan leader Col Gaddafi. Libyan Semtex was used in many bomb attacks such as London Docklands, Baltic Exchange, Warrington, and Enniskillen.
Libya has previously paid out compensation to American, German and French victims of its terror attacks – understood to be around £1m per person.
After investigating the issues, Shawcross delivered his report to the government in 2020, however victims were shocked when the government refused to publish it on national security grounds.
Campaigners have long claimed that a deal between Tony Blair and Col Gaddafi on oil could be a key reason the UK does not wish to press Libya for compensation.
Under continued pressure, the Foreign Office finally published the executive summary and conclusions of the report on Monday.
In it Sir William urged the government to act urgently.
He said: “It is time to draw a line. The pain and suffering of the victims is real and harrowing; it has been compounded by the length of time this matter has been under discussion and that victims have waited for the redress they believe is due to them, partly because they have been encouraged in that belief.”
He added: “HM Treasury should fund the scheme and consider whether there should be separate funding for NI and England. Funding could be obtained from the tax accrued on the frozen Libyan assets but will probably be insufficient, depending on the solution chosen. Other sources of government funding will probably be required.”
He also said: “The next phase needs to be led by No 10 and receive the necessary political support. This support needs to be genuine and available throughout.”
He also warned that compensating only victims of Gaddafi-IRA terrorism might not seem neutral.
“If HM Government provides funding (or advance funding), payment to a narrow group of beneficiaries could contribute to tensions over Northern Ireland legacy issues, and could be perceived not to be ‘rigorously impartial’ to both communities in Northern Ireland, an idea that is central to the Good Friday Agreement.”
DUP peer Lord Dodds lamented that it was “only now – many years later – that we are finally seeing what the conclusions of Shawcross really were.”
London Docklands bomb survivor Jonathan Ganesh and the Dockland Victims Association should take primary credit for the report’s release, he said.
The peer said it was “deplorable” that no progress has been made for the victims in the intervening five years, despite £12bn of frozen Libyan assets in the UK. He noted that Shawcross' suggestion of using the UK tax collected on them “still hasn't been progressed”.
“It is an abject failure, on the part of the British government, when you see how the Americans, French and German victims of Libyan terrorism have all been compensated.”
He also took issue with the recommendation that any compensation coming from Libya be spread more widely than to just IRA victims.
“I think that this has been used as an excuse to delay looking at this particular issue,” he said.
UUP peer Lord Elliot was similarly perplexed.
“Why has it taken five years for the report to be published?” he asked. “There is no reason provided that I am aware of.”
He also said it was “a nonsense statement” to suggest that providing compensation to IRA victims could be seen as partial.
Certain Troubles victims are treated differently “to the vast majority" he said, pointing to legacy inquests, public inquiries and special compensation payouts.
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