Northern Ireland Office Minister, John Penrose, has confirmed that a pension for people injured in the Troubles will not be given to terrorists.
The NIO has been examining advice from the victims’ commissioner on how to put in place a pension for people severely injured during the Troubles.
Judith Thompson previously said the pension should also be available to those who staged attacks.
A statement issued by 14 victims’ groups said they condemned the move.
On Monday NIO Minister John Penrose told the House of Commons that “there is no moral equivalence between a bystander badly injured in a terrorist explosion through no fault of their own and and people who manufactured the bomb, placed the bomb, and detonated the bomb.”