The Conservative Party has demanded a public inquiry into the 1972 Claudy bombings in Northern Ireland, insisting the truth must come out "without fear or favour".
Shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Mr Quentin Davies also suggested that the government was more disposed to spend "time or money getting at the facts" when victims were from the nationalist community - a claim flatly denied by the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy. Recent police claims have suggested the government and Catholic Church shielded a priest suspected of the IRA triple car bomb attack which killed nine people in the Co Derry town.
A police review team has disclosed that former Northern Ireland secretary, Mr William Whitelaw, and the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal William Conway, discussed the case of a priest suspected of the bombings.
Father Jim Chesney was transferred from Derry to a parish in Co Donegal, even though he was a prime suspect. He died eight years later and no one was ever charged over the atrocity.
During Commons question time, Mr Davies said documents were said to exist providing "direct evidence of a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice on the part of the then government and the Northern Ireland Office".
Mr Murphy, said the incident was "one of the most heinous bombs and crimes of the last 30 years". But he stressed that while the police investigation was still under way it was not appropriate to comment. But Mr Davies replied: "It is a fact that the actual atrocity took place 30 years ago so we hope the police investigation will be completed reasonably soon and won't take another 30 years.
"On this side of the House we believe the truth should come out irrespective of whom may have been involved in any cover-up, without fear or without favour.
"I also want to make it clear that it would be thoroughly deplorable if anything were done which were to confirm the sad impression that has already been created - that where an atrocity or a cover-up involves victims from the nationalist community the government is prepared to spend any amount of time or money getting at the facts."
Mr Murphy insisted the government made no distinction between nationalist and unionist victims of the Troubles. "I will await the results of the investigations," he added. "I agree it should be as speedy as possible and I also agree there should be no cover-up in terms of uncovering the truth in that investigation."