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Northern Ireland Office

Answer

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost to public funds, broken down by Department, of (a) establishing and (b) running the Saville inquiry up to 31 December 2000. [149876] Dr. Reid: The cost of the Bloody Sunday inquiry to my Department, from its establishment in January 1998 to 31 December 2000, was £33,834,904. In addition, I estimate that around £81,705 was incurred in staff and other administrative costs within the Department over the same period. Since no departmental staff are employed full-time on inquiry work, it is not possible to give precise figures. I am advised that the Ministry of Defence's expenditure up until 31 December 2000 was £8,823,819. This includes the cost of staff employed full-time on inquiry-related work. Other Departments do not employ staff full-time on inquiry work so are only able to estimate the costs to them. I am advised that the approximate expenditure of the Cabinet Office for this period was £33,600; for the Home Office the figure was £56,000{1}; and for the Treasury Solicitor's Department the figure was £12,247. The security and intelligence agencies have also incurred costs of this nature, but it is not Government practice to disclose expenditure by these agencies. I am not aware of any other Department incurring expenditure in connection with the inquiry. {1} This includes the cost of providing legal advice to the Northern Ireland Office, which is covered by the Home Office Vote.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

364 c79-80W; 149876

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Costs Inquiries Northern Ireland Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk