A Northern Ireland Office Minister yesterday rejected a claim by the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, that the new inquiry into the Bloody Sunday killings would turn into a witch-hunt.
Lord Dubs, the North's Environment Minister, said it was right that new evidence of the killing of 14 men 26 years ago should be examined. "A lot of people, particularly the relatives of whose who were killed and injured on that tragic occasion, want to know the truth. They feel the whole truth has not come out, and I think it is right and proper that there should be an inquiry which should put this very difficult historical tragedy to rest once and for all", he said.
Lord Dubs also rejected calls from the relatives of Bloody Sunday for an apology from Queen Elizabeth, who awarded the commander of the paratroopers in 1972 an OBE. "I don't think that's appropriate. I think if there is a case for an inquiry, which I fully support, then we have to look at the results of the inquiry before we see what has to happen next. To ask for an apology before we have an inquiry is surely going the wrong way around. Once we have the results of that, then we'll see what the next stage might be", he said.
Lord Dubs said he would be surprised if the tribunal did not select Derry as the venue for its Northern Ireland hearings.