Ulster Unionist MP, Danny Kinahan has said that former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw’s evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will bring no comfort to victims of Libyan sponsored terrorism.

The former Labour Cabinet Minister was giving evidence on the support for UK Victims of IRA attacks that used Gaddafi-supplied semtex and weapons.

The South Antrim MP said:

“Jack Straw’s evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has raised more questions than answers, and brings us no further in terms of assisting those UK victims of IRA attacks where Libyan semtex and weapons were used.

“Mr Straw did remark that there may be an opportunity to use frozen assets for compensation for victims, but this could only be done with support of all permanent members of the UN Security Council.

“What is particularly troubling is that when the United Kingdom was bringing Libya in from the fringes of the international community, that compensation for IRA victims was not on the agenda, instead the removal of potential chemical and nuclear weapons, and more concerning, commercial interests seemingly took precedence.

 “Mr Straw said that while the UK Government were speaking secretly to the Libyan Government in 2003 that ‘there was no clamour’ for the Government to demand compensation. This flies in the face of the evidence which shows parliamentary questions asked at the time by David Burnside, Martin Smyth and others on this precise issue.

“While the Committee appreciates Jack Straw’s appearance today, his evidence will be no comfort to the victims of Libyan sponsored terrorism who still await compensation.”

ENDS