The Ulster Unionist Party’s Justice Spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA, said:

“The comments of the Criminal Justice Inspection (CJI) regarding the PSNI’s handling of historical records should be taken on board by all of us who care about truth and justice.

“They found the PSNI had ‘no central inventory’ of all historical records but given that this is a Police force which inherited an incredible 44 million documents and whose staffing levels still do not match those recommended in the Patten report, this should  hardly be surprising to anyone, but those most determined to pursue an anti-state agenda.

“Where mistakes were made they were the result of human error, poor requesting procedure by the Police Ombudsman of NI’s Office (PONI), ambiguity and of course, a major issue with the sheer volume of information and the manner in which it is stored.

“There is no question that the Police need investment and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) needs to be looked at. The bottom line is that there was not a deliberate withholding of information and it is this that should be the main take away.

“It is certainly not the fault of the PSNI that they have inherited such a vast store of records from a 30 year terrorist campaign. Nor is it the fault of the PSNI that those historical records are not digitised and held in a manner that meets the standards of 2020.

“Those who engaged in that terror campaign need to accept their responsibility for the death and destruction they caused and those who seek to rewrite the history of the Troubles need to realise that the rest of us will not meekly comply with their shameful quest to rebrand lies as truth.”