Compensation law for HIA victims passes through House of Lords

By Trevor Mason and Nick Lester, PA Political Staff

Legislation to compensate victims of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland has cleared the House of Lords.

The Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Bill completed all its remaining stages in just a few minutes with cross-party support.

But there is growing concern among peers about whether there will be sufficient time for the Bill to pass through the Commons before the looming General Election.

The Bill establishes a Redress Board to administer a compensation scheme and creates a Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse to promote the interests of victims.

The changes recommended by a Stormont-commissioned inquiry into historic institutional abuse in the region, chaired by the late Sir Anthony Hart, have been on ice for over two-and-a-half years due to the collapse of the devolved institutions.

Former Ulster Unionist leader Lord Empey warned earlier: "If it's not done it would be the greatest kick in the teeth to a group of victims that this Parliament could possibly deliver."

Labour former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Hain said he understood that MPs had been told by business managers in the Commons that there was no time for the legislation to go through the elected chamber.

He said: "If that is the case, that is not right.

"To use the excuse of electing the (Commons) Speaker on Monday as a reason not to take through this Bill is unacceptable."

As the Bill was passed by peers, Northern Ireland minister Lord Duncan of Springbank said there were "ongoing" discussions about the Bill's fate in the Commons.

Liberal Democrat Lord Bruce of Bennachie said it was beyond belief that the Commons could not find a few minutes to consider the legislation before Parliament is dissolved next week.

Lord Hain said if this historical institutional abuse "of the most horrible kind" had taken place in Surrey, Kent or Yorkshire it was impossible to imagine the Bill would not be "speeding through" the Commons.

"I wouldn't like this Parliament to be in a position where it had failed the people of Northern Ireland," he added.

Later in the Commons, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Tony Lloyd urged the Government to make time for the Bill to be debated in the Commons next week.

Raising a point of order, Mr Lloyd said: "We as an Opposition have made it quite clear to Government business managers that there will be no impediment placed by us for an orderly and very rapid passage of that Bill through the House.

"The House does recognise that this is a matter of justice to people who were victims of abuse who now as survivors, some very elderly, do deserve both the recognition that this Bill will give as well as some level of financial compensation."