Danny Kinahan, Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim, has highlighted four areas that need addressed by the UK Government on behalf of the victims of Libyan supplied semtex used by IRA terrorists to murder and seriously injure our citizens.

Mr. Kinahan said:

“During this morning’s Westminster Hall debate on the victims of Libyan supplied semtex to the IRA, I suggested creating a UK-wide ‘victims’ covenant’. The aim would be to develop a coherent approach to dealing with the needs of those who suffered and continue to suffer from the effects of terrorist atrocities in the UK. We should be setting a high benchmark in how we treat victims of terrorism.

“In order to provide focus to a proposed ‘victims’ covenant’, we need to look at collating and updating a central UK-wide database of those in need of assistance. This would help to ensure that accurate information is held about all victims and no one is left behind or ignored.

“Thirdly, I do not believe for one second that there is no other way of compensating those in need. The UK Government should be exploring imaginative ways of dealing with this before it is too late for many victims. If, as the Government says, a compensation deal will eventually be reached, they should be considering a scheme to compensate victims now with the Government getting the money back further down the line.

“Finally, for the good of our society and democratic institutions, I call on openness and transparency from the former Labour Prime Ministers who were unable to secure a resolution to the matter with Muammar Gaddafi despite American citizens receiving compensation. Why have British citizens had to wait and wait? Why have they been ignored for decades? Why can they not even glimpse a potential resolution in sight? It`s simply not good enough.”