I raised the issue of the British Government granting access to these documents when I met with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers in Belfast on 30 July. She assured me that she would reflect afresh on what the British Government can do to respond. She confirmed that there was ongoing work within their system on what it may be possible to do but she was not in a position to provide a definitive response at that stage. In the course of a telephone conversation on 17 September, I again raised the issue with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Officials from my Department will continue to pursue this issue and I will continue to raise it at ministerial level.
The need to establish a fair, balanced and comprehensive framework for dealing with the past is currently under discussion at the political talks in Belfast convened by the British and Irish Governments. The Government continues to believe that a framework for dealing with the past that better meets the needs of victims and survivors, while also contributing to the peace and reconciliation agenda, is an urgent requirement.