• Compensation Bill for victims of Gaddafi sponsored terror successfully passes through House of Lords
• £9.5 billion of Libyan assets frozen in London
• Westminster support group on Libyan victims determined to achieve justice

Lord Empey said:

“I am delighted to report that my Asset Freezing (Compensation) Bill has now passed all of its stages in the House of Lords with its third reading taking place today. Some of the worst IRA atrocities were committed with Libyan supplied weapons and the purpose of the Bill is to right the great wrong done to the victims.

“I belong to a support group of MPs at Westminster who are committed to securing compensation for victims of Libyan sponsored terrorism. Andrew Rosindell MP is currently introducing a parallel Bill to mine in the House of Commons, this will be guaranteed a second reading, which the Government will have to formally respond to.

“There are £9.5 billion of Libyan assets frozen in London, which are linked to the Gaddafi regime, with other large deposits elsewhere around the globe. While we accept that these assets have been frozen by the United Nations and the European Union, we are deeply disappointed that the UK Government have at no stage made any representation to either institution, so that these assets can be freed up to use as just compensation for victims.

“The support group have held numerous meetings with Government officials and the Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood MP. Treasury lawyers have indicated that this course of action is not possible, despite the absence of any legal precedent stating that this is the case.

“I first wrote to the then Prime Minister Tony Blair about this issue in 2002, and have never received a substantive response. From Jack Straw’s recent appearance in front of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, it is obvious that victims of Gaddafi sponsored terrorism were left high and dry as the Blair Government negotiated with Libya over their weapons programme.  I was in communication with David Cameron when he was Prime Minister and received assurances that his government would pursue the interests of victims. This has not happened hence the need for new legislation. 

“It is the support group’s intention to do everything in our power to use the parliamentary process to finally resolve this glaring injustice for the victims of Libyan terrorism.”