§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of the Saville inquiry is to date; and what estimate he has made of the cost of the whole inquiry. [19773]
§ Mr. BrowneThe cost of the Bloody Sunday inquiry to the Northern Ireland Office, as at 4 December 2001, is £52 million. The current estimated cost to the Northern Ireland Office for the whole inquiry is £100 million. This figure assumes that the rates of payment to lawyers remain as at present for the remainder of the inquiry, and makes no allowance for any change of venue which may follow the divisional court's judgment of 16 November 2001, currently subject to appeal. Neither of these figures includes cost to other Departments such as the Ministry of Defence.