Calvin Bailey corrected a written answer on Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

7 July 2026 · Commons written answer · Ministry of Defence

Katie Lam (Conservative, Weald of Kent) asked written question 9900 on 15 June 2026. Mr Calvin Bailey answered on 23 June 2026 for the Ministry of Defence, and Mr Calvin Bailey corrected the answer on 7 July 2026. The figure £5.2 million in the original became £4.7 million in the correction. Altogether 203 words differ between the two versions.

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent in relation to legal action connected to Soldier F.

Original and corrected answer

Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.

Original	Corrected
~~In responding to this Question, it has been assumed that references to Soldier F relate to the individual prosecuted in connection with Bloody Sunday.~~ The Ministry of Defence ~~is committed~~ to ~~supporting veterans~~ and their ~~families. As part of this, Soldier F has received~~ legal and welfare support throughout his legal proceedings at public expense. The legal fees ~~associated~~ with ~~these proceedings (including associated judicial reviews)~~ amount to ~~£5.2 million, which may rise marginally as a result of~~ the ~~new Judicial Review that has been launched~~ by the ~~Next of Kin of the victims into the~~ Public Prosecution Service ~~of Northern Ireland’s decision not to prosecute eight soldiers, including Soldier F,~~ in relation to allegations of providing false evidence to the Saville inquiry. These costs cover the period from when Soldier F was initially charged in March ~~2019. This includes costs associated with the Judicial Review leading~~ to ~~the PPS recommencing proceedings in 2022. Legal representation has been provided by the same experienced legal team since the Saville Inquiry, supplemented by leading solicitors~~ and ~~barristers, including King's Counsel, based in Northern Ireland.~~	The Ministry of Defence provides legal support to current and former service personnel involved in legal processes connected with their duties. Total legal fees incurred for soldier F (the individual prosecuted in connection with Bloody Sunday) amount to £4.7 million. These cover the period since he was charged by the Public Prosecution Service in March 2019 and relate to his prosecution and associated judicial reviews.

Original

Corrected

~~In responding to this Question, it has been assumed that references to Soldier F relate to the individual prosecuted in connection with Bloody Sunday.~~
The Ministry of Defence ~~is committed~~ to ~~supporting veterans~~ and their ~~families. As part of this, Soldier F has received~~ legal and welfare support throughout his legal proceedings at public expense.
The legal fees ~~associated~~ with ~~these proceedings (including associated judicial reviews)~~ amount to ~~£5.2 million, which may rise marginally as a result of~~ the ~~new Judicial Review that has been launched~~ by the ~~Next of Kin of the victims into the~~ Public Prosecution Service ~~of Northern Ireland’s decision not to prosecute eight soldiers, including Soldier F,~~ in relation to allegations of providing false evidence to the Saville inquiry.
These costs cover the period from when Soldier F was initially charged in March ~~2019. This includes costs associated with the Judicial Review leading~~ to ~~the PPS recommencing proceedings in 2022. Legal representation has been provided by the same experienced legal team since the Saville Inquiry, supplemented by leading solicitors~~ and ~~barristers, including King's Counsel, based in Northern Ireland.~~

The Ministry of Defence provides legal support to current and former service personnel involved in legal processes connected with their duties. Total legal fees incurred for soldier F (the individual prosecuted in connection with Bloody Sunday) amount to £4.7 million. These cover the period since he was charged by the Public Prosecution Service in March 2019 and relate to his prosecution and associated judicial reviews.

The question and answer on the Parliament website.

Receipt

Read from	https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/1916183?expandMember=true
Date read	16 October 2026
SHA-256	`071e45dd1dd1efba12cf1ada8466d448cd25c413fb17dd4f333f35153ba54611`