Context
On 5 April 1979, an IRA sniper killed Blues and Royals serviceman Anthony Dykes. His mother Kathleen is now 94 years old and feels her son's memory has been forgotten compared to other conflicts.
Question
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding a permanent memorial to people who served in Northern Ireland. There are monuments for soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, but nothing for those who served in Northern Ireland. My constituent Kathleen, Anthony Dykes' mother, is now very frail, so I am her voice today asking the Government to commit to national memorial.
Answer from The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)
On behalf of the whole House, I express our condolences to Kathleen on the loss of her son all those years ago. The names of those service personnel who died on deployment to Operation Banner are rightly listed on the armed forces memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum as a lasting record of their sacrifice. I do not know whether my hon. Friend’s constituent has had a chance to visit there, but perhaps that is something that my hon. Friend might like to facilitate.
Not addressed: Commitment to fund a permanent memorial in Northern Ireland
How: Facilitating A Visit To The National Memorial Arboretum
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