AQW 53744/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 05/10/2026
Answered On Date: 13/10/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail any way in which the Victims’ Payments Board verifies the presence of former members of the Armed Forces at Troubles-related incidents where no contemporaneous police record exists of their attendance.

Answer:

The Victims’ Payments Board (VPB) have information sharing arrangements in place with a number of organisations including the Ministry of Defence, PSNI and PRONI, to formally request supporting information as required. The VPB administration team exhausts all available avenues in their effort to gather as much supporting evidence as possible on behalf of applicants.

Ultimately, where this evidence gathering does not yield the desired return, the Panel are bound by the Victims’ Payments Regulations 2020 which underpin the Scheme. An independent panel of the VPB will also consider any evidence provided by the applicant or appellant in support of their applications.