§ Mr. Beaumont-DarkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will meet the costs accruing to the West Midlands police authority of the participation of West Midlands police officers in the investigation of the Hillsborough disaster, and of arranging policing cover in the West Midlands as a result of these duties.
§ Mr. HurdAs I said in a letter which I sent to my hon. Friend yesterday, no additional costs will be borne by the West Midlands police authority. "Additional costs" include the cost of overtime worked by the west midlands police officers in their own force area to cover duties which would otherwise have been undertaken by officers seconded to the Hillsborough inquiry. The means of reimbursing the West Midlands police authority will be for further consideration.