What did Carlile tellPaterson? I won’t say

SECRETARY of State Owen Paterson has acknowledged the concerns of the family of Real IRA murder victim Kieran Doherty - shot dead by the paramilitary group in February 2010 - but has refused to break with Government practice to publish details of Lord Carlile’s investigation into allegations MI5 were involved in his death.

Londonderry MP Mark Durkan asked the Secretary of State if he would publish Lord Carlile’s report on the murder of Kieran Doherty.

Mr Paterson said he would not break with the policy of successive Governments and publish any information on “matters of this nature.”

Instead he repeated Lord Carlile’s assertion in a recent letter to Mr Durkan that “no inappropriate or improper action took place.”

In that letter Lord Carlile wrote: “Kieran Doherty’s cruel death was not in any respect a consequence of any misbehaviour or infraction by anybody directly or indirectly connected with the public service.

“Further, the Police Service of Northern Ireland have been able to carry out a full and unimpeded murder inquiry.”

But beyond this the Secretary of State refused to venture stating: “Following the brutal murder of Kieran Doherty, I met members of his family.

“In light of the concerns they expressed to me, I invited Lord Carlile, as reviewer of the arrangements for handling national security-related matters in Northern Ireland, to meet them to discuss those concerns.

“Further, in view of allegations about the conduct of the Security Service, I asked Lord Carlile to review the case and to provide me with advice.

“As the House will be aware, it has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on matters of this nature. I do not intend to depart from that practice or to publish Lord Carlile’s advice to me.”