The Troubles Bill partly addresses concerns about the Secretary of State’s wide-ranging powers of appointment to the commission under the Legacy Act. Relinquishing such powers to an independent entity may only raise questions of accountability, so transparency will be an important confidence-building part of this process. To that end, the Government should consider the merits of a Minister being bound by a recommendation of the panel of relevant person/s; and publishing an indicative list of ...

The Troubles Bill partly addresses concerns about the Secretary of State’s wide-ranging powers of appointment to the commission under the Legacy Act. Relinquishing such powers to an independent entity may only raise questions of accountability, so transparency will be an important confidence-building part of this process. To that end, the Government should consider the merits of a Minister being bound by a recommendation of the panel of relevant person/s; and publishing an indicative list of consultees, which should include victim-survivor representation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 65) 81 Type: recommendation | Number: 8 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: The Troubles Bill, at Clause 9, requires the Secretary of State to publish a list of prospective consultees before they are consulted on relevant appointments. Where appropriate, for example for the Victims and Survivors Advisory Group (VSAG), this will of course include consultation with representa