Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Today during topical questions to the Minister of Justice I exposed the plan by the Executive parties to pass responsibility for legislation pertaining to the new Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) to Westminster.
“This is a bizarre arrangement given that policing and justice are devolved issues.
“It is hard to escape the conclusion that the Stormont parties, particularly the DUP, want to be able to claim that their hands are clean when it comes to the legislation.
“Do they fear being exposed on the floor of the Assembly?
“There is deep concern about these proposals across the Unionist community and particularly among innocent victims. The legislation should be passing through Stormont and subjected to scrutiny by MLAs. The implementation group established after the Stormont House Agreement was published and referred to as the body providing scrutiny by Minister Ford today meets in private. Its proceedings are in secret as far as the general public are concerned and only the cosy club of executive parties are included.
“Could it be, for example, that the Historical Investigations Unit will be able to include former members of the Garda – a force which Smithwick exposed as colluding in the murder of Harry Breen and Bob Buchannan and one suspects many other Provo murders which have never been investigated in the manner of the Breen/Buchannan case – while investigators who served in the RUC or members of the RIR will be excluded?
“This was certainly hinted at in the Haass proposals. One suspects that this and other ideas may well be incorporated in legislation and that Unionists who negotiated the Stormont House Agreement will claim that it is nothing to do with them.”