§ Mr. HefferTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to public funds of the extradition proceedings in connection with the Heysel stadium disaster; if any part of this sum is recoverable from the Belgian Government; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 15 February]: Expenditure so far identified includes about £30,000 incurred by the police and £61,000 by the Crown Prosecution Service. Legal aid costs borne by the Lord Chancellor's Department have yet to be settled. None of this expenditure is recoverable from the Belgian authorities because the extradition treaty provides that the costs incurred in such proceedings are borne by the requested state.