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Kincora House
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers has said that allegations of abuse at the Kincora Boys' Home in East Belfast will not be investigated as part of a UK-wide inquiry into child sex abuse.
In 1981, three senior care workers were jailed after abusing 11 boys at the home.
Due to an allegation that MI5 had been involved in covering up abuse at the home, last month Stormont ministers said that only a Westminster inquiry could adequately investigate the claims.
After Teresa May announced in July that there would be a UK-wide investigation into child abuse at Westminster, top Northern Ireland politicians and victims campaigners strongly argued that Kincora should be investigated as part of the inquiry.
However, on Tuesday Villiers said that the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry chaired by Sir Anthony Hart was a more suitable option for looking into claims of abuse at the home.
She said: "All right thinking people will find the offences committed at Kincora utterly abhorrent, and if there was any tolerance of such abuse by people in positions of authority that must also be utterly condemned.
"I believe that Sir Anthony's inquiry is the best placed body to do just that and it is already planning to look at allegations in respect of Kincora."
Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mike Nesbitt, questioned the ability of the HIAI to call security forces staff to come forward as witnesses.
He said: "I acknowledge the Secretary of State is working with colleagues in Government to address that point, but until it is resolved satisfactorily, these proposals have a potentially fatal weakness. That would be a betrayal of the victims."
Alliance MP, Naomi Long, said: "Whilst I welcome the news that the Government is willing to participate in the investigation into the goings-on at Kincora, it is disappointing they have not allowed the home to be part of the wider-ranging Home Office inquiry.
"Kincora is under the spotlight not just for allegations of abuse but also claims that security services participated in blackmail and cover-ups around it. While the Secretary of State is correct in saying the welfare of children is a devolved matter to Northern Ireland, the security services are not."
