Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has vowed to continue his efforts to get compensation for victims of Libyan sponsored IRA terrorism following a meeting yesterday with Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood MP and senior departmental officials.
Lord Empey said:
“On a day when the country was confronted with the real story of the lead up to the Iraq war, the battle continued elsewhere in Westminster to get justice and compensation for the victims of Gadaffi sponsored IRA terrorism.
“An all-party group in Parliament is working with lawyers and victims to get access to the £9.5 billion of Libyan assets frozen in London. My Private Members Bill - the Asset Freezing (Compensation) Bill which is currently passing through Parliament - is a means of moving this agenda forward after 14 years of stalemate and no justice for those who have suffered greatly.
“Yesterday, we met with Foreign Office Minister, Tobias Ellwood MP, who was accompanied by both Foreign Office and Treasury officials to discuss the Bill and the issues flowing from it.
“I never understood why Tony Blair failed to extract money from Gadaffi when he was dealing with him as Prime Minister. The present government, while sharing this concern, has nevertheless failed to come up with any answers in the last 6 years and indeed has been facing in different directions as policy ebbed and flowed.
“Many of us were concerned last month, when the Government said during the Second Reading of the Bill that they were unable to take action because of the European Convention on Human Rights. HMG felt that those Libyans on a United Nations list who have control of some of the frozen funds could sue the Government arguing that their rights to enjoy their property and assets were being violated!
“This response provoked a backlash among MPs and Peers and led to yesterday's meeting.
“Minister Ellwood was at pains to stress that he was working as hard as he could to get a resolution, and was resting his hopes for progress on the establishment of a new Libyan government with which he could do business.
“The group understood that this would be a desirable outcome, but we have been here before and the last attempt at the creation of a stable Libyan government dissolved into factional fighting which continues to rage today.
“The Minister has agreed to write to me with the government's latest position and the group re-iterated that we intend to press on with the Bill in both Houses of Parliament.”