HL Deb 30 January 2003 vol 643 cc181-2WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many researchers and messengers are required by the legal teams which they are funding and who are attending the Bloody Sunday Inquiry; what arc their qualifications; and how much have they cost to date. [HL953]

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)

The Government (either through the inquiry or relevant government departments) provide funds only to counsel and to the firms of solicitors who represent interested parties or limited representation to quasi-interested parties; for example, those representing media witnesses. The hourly rate allowed for fee earners (counsel, solicitors, assistant solicitors and paralegals) include clerical support overheads. It is from the fees payable to the legal teams (details of these payments in respect of the families and NICRA were included in answer to a Parliamentary Question from the honourable Member for East Londonderry on 13 January 2003 (Hansard, col. 434W) that they pay for any administrative support necessary. The inquiry does not have details of whom the legal teams employ or their qualifications or remuneration. It is also for the individual legal teams to determine who might need to attend in support on any particular day, but they are not in any event paid a separate attendance fee.

The inquiry itself has an administrative team to provide support to the tribunal, counsel and solicitors, all of whom are civil servants or on short-term Civil Service contracts.