This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30872333

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
OTR letters: Theresa Villiers gives more evidence to MPs OTR letters: Theresa Villiers says names to remain confidential
(about 6 hours later)
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers is appearing before the Westminster committee investigating the On the Runs (OTR) scheme. Lawyers have advised the government not to disclose the names of republicans who received letters as part of the On the Runs scheme, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has said.
Under the scheme, letters were sent to more than 200 republican paramilitary suspects. More than 200 letters were sent to paramilitary suspects who were informed they were no longer wanted by police.
These informed them that they were no longer wanted by police. Members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee have repeatedly called for the names to be disclosed.
It is the second time Ms Villiers has appeared before the committee. Two former NIO officials are also giving evidence. However, Ms Villiers told the committee that this was not likely to happen.
Mark Sweeney and Simon Case had previously failed to attend the inquiry, but it was confirmed almost two weeks ago that they would be present, along with Ms Villiers. "The advice of lawyers is very clear, that disclosure of the names of the individuals who received OTR (On the Runs) letters could make future prosecution more difficult because of the public perception that anyone who received an OTR letter was a terrorist," she said.
The OTR scheme came to public attention in 2014 when one of the letters caused the Hyde Park bomb trial to collapse. "That of course, as this committee will appreciate, isn't the case."
The man accused of it, John Downey, walked free. County Donegal man John Downey is the only person known to have received a letter of assurance stating that he was not wanted for arrest or questioning by the police.
The Hyde Park attack killed Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Roy Bright, Lieutenant Anthony Daly, Trooper Simon Tipper and Lance Corporal Jeffrey Young on 20 July 1982. This is because he relied on it to avoid prosecution for the murders of four soldiers in the IRA's Hyde Park bombing in July 1982.
Last week, former Prime Minister Tony Blair gave evidence to the committee. The attack killed Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Roy Bright, Lieutenant Anthony Daly, Trooper Simon Tipper and Lance Corporal Jeffrey Young.
He said the Northern Ireland peace process would probably have collapsed without the OTR scheme. The collapse of Mr Downey's trial in February 2014 brought the OTR scheme to public attention.
It began while Mr Blair was prime minister and was set up in 1999, following talks with Sinn Féin. The committee held its last evidence-gathering session on Monday, and it hopes to publish its findings next month.
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is conducting an inquiry into the scheme, and hopes to publish its findings before the end of this month. Ms Villiers said the scheme was not an amnesty, and if it was, her government would have closed it down immediately.
It has heard evidence from senior police officers and politicians, including Ms Villiers and a number of her predecessors. In her second appearance before the committee, she told MPs that she would have expected former Prime Minister Tony Blair to have known that letters were being sent to OTRs informing them of their legal status.
Last week, Mr Blair told the committee he was surprised to hear that such letters had been sent.
Ms Villiers added that she was not aware of MI5 having any role to play in the scheme.
Mr Blair told the committee that the Northern Ireland peace process would probably have collapsed without the scheme.
It began while Mr Blair was prime minister and was set up in 1999, following talks with Sinn Féin.
The committee has heard evidence from senior police officers and politicians, including Ms Villiers and a number of her predecessors.