Karen Bradley pledge on abuse victim payouts ... once ‘questions’ resolved

Facing calls to resign by survivors of historic institutional abuse, the Northern Ireland secretary moved to explain her decision to defer enacting the scheme at Westminster and instead add the issue to the agenda of Stormont’s power-sharing talks.

Compensation payments recommended by a Stormont-commissioned inquiry have been on ice for two and a half years due to the collapse of the devolved institutions, and Mrs Bradley has been under mounting pressure to sanction the outstanding payments.

The Conservative MP said a public consultation on draft legislation had identified a series of key issues that needed to be hammered out before she could proceed with tabling a final bill.

Mrs Bradley said she had asked the Stormont parties to examine the questions as part of the talks process because that would be the quickest way to resolve them.

“We cannot go forward until we have answered those questions,” she said.

“I want to get on with this with the utmost urgency but those questions need answering and part of that is the political parties in Northern Ireland helping to answer those questions.”

Pressed on the issue during a visit to the Balmoral Show, Mrs Bradley added: “You need to understand that to get legislation through Westminster, which I am prepared to do, these questions will need to be answered before that can happen.”

Dozens of victims have died without receiving compensation that was recommended by the wide-ranging inquiry that reported just before devolution imploded in January 2017.

A redress scheme, in which victims would have been paid between £7,500 and £100,000, was one of the recommendations of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIAI).

Mrs Bradley revealed that she met HIAI chairman Sir Anthony Hart on Thursday morning to seek the retired judge’s input.

“I have asked him would he work with my officials also so we can deliver,” she said.

Mrs Bradley said the consultation, overseen by the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, David Sterling, had raised questions about the “remit, role and responsibilities” of the redress board that will administer the compensation.

She said if those issues are not resolved victims may face an even longer wait for compensation.

“I want them to have the redress they rightly deserve but I cannot do that until these fundamental questions are resolved because we need to get this right,” she said.

It is understood politicians will be asked to examine issues around the total compensation bill, what amount religious orders should contribute, and how the redress board will assess the level of recompense due to individual victims.

Government officials are understood to be concerned that if the legislation is tabled without those issues resolved it could be fundamentally altered by amendments in the Commons and Lords.

Facing media questions at the Maze showgrounds, the Northern Ireland secretary rejected claims from victims that she was using them as a “political football” to try to force the Stormont parties into a deal to restore power-sharing.

“I am determined to deliver for those victims,” she said.

Mrs Bradley suggested the fate of the redress scheme did not rest on the outcome of the overall talks process.

“To be absolutely clear, this is not part of a talks process, this is a piece of work so we can answer the fundamental questions and get on and deliver for those people that I desperately want to deliver for,” she said.

Mrs Bradley insisted she was prepared to move the legislation at Westminster.

“I am prepared to legislate wherever is the best place to do that, and if that is Westminster I am prepared to do that, but I cannot do that until these fundamental questions have been answered,” she said.