Katie Lam · ConservativeAnswering body: Ministry of Defence
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on legal and administrative costs in connection to the Saville Inquiry.
Government answer
Answering body: Ministry of Defence
This information is publicly available at;https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a796e76e5274a3864fd6eef/bloody_sunday_inquiry_-_annual_expenditure_by_category_to_end_may_2010.pdf
That this House notes that, on 27 January 1972, Sergeant Peter Gilgunn and Constable David Montgomery, two police officers on patrol in Londonderry, were murdered by the Provisional IRA using a Thompson sub machine gun; further notes that this happened in the vicinity of, and just three days before, the events that were subsequently described as Bloody Sunday; and regrets that the Saville Report into the events of that day contained references to the activities of some soldiers on the day as ...
Colum Eastwood · Social Democratic & Labour PartyAnswering body: Ministry of Defence
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) legal costs and (b) other support provided to Soldier F relating to the case of the alleged murders of James Wray and William McKinney.
Government answer
Answering body: Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence is committed to supporting veterans and their families. As part of this, Soldier F has received legal and welfare support throughout his legal proceedings at public expense.
The legal fees associated with these proceedings (including associated judicial reviews) amount to £4.3 million, which may rise marginally once final bills are received. These costs cover the period from when Soldier F was initially charged in March 2019. This includes costs associated with the Judicial Review leading to the PPS recommencing proceedings in 2022. Legal representation has been provided by the same experienced legal team since the Saville Inquiry, supplemented by leading solicitors and barristers, including King's Counsel, based in Northern Ireland.
Other costs associated with the support of Soldier F, such as pastoral care, arrangement and payment of travel and accommodation, etc, are met from a central budget and involve the time of various employees for which a specific cost cannot be calculated.
Johnny Mercer · ConservativeAnswering body: Northern Ireland Office
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost was of the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday; and if he will provide a breakdown of the costs.
Government answer
Answering body: Northern Ireland Office
The total cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry to the end of May 2010 is £191.2 million. These are the publicly available figures that were published following the completion of the inquiry and publication of the report in 2010.
Johnny Mercer · ConservativeAnswering body: Northern Ireland Office
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what (a) meetings, (b) discussions, (c) correspondence and (d) other communications took place between Baron Saville of Newdigate and former Prime Minister Blair (i) before and (ii) during the existence
Government answer
Answering body: Northern Ireland Office
The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) other communication occurred between former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Baron Saville of Newdigate (i) before, (ii) during and (iii) after the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
Information about correspondence and other communication between Mr Blair (as Prime Minister) and Lord Saville (as Head of the Inquiry) is not readily available. The information is contained in paper records of the Inquiry for a 12-year period and records of the Prime Minister's Office covering a 10-year period. For this reason an answer could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the final costs were for each of the participating legal teams and individuals involved in the Saville Inquiry; and what costs in that inquiry were incurred after 2005.
Government answer
Answering body: Northern Ireland Office
The team costs for each of the participating legal teams are detailed in the enclosed attachment.
A full breakdown of the legal costs from 2005 onwards is not readily available. The table below provides a less detailed breakdown.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, columns 51-2W, on the Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry, what the amount was of the invoice for the hosting of the website for the Saville Inquiry; and what the totals were for any previous such invoices for that service since 2010.
Government answer
Answering body: Northern Ireland Office
The invoice referred to in my previous answer was for £80 excl. VAT. The Northern Ireland Office paid a total of £7,900 excl. VAT for hosting and management of the Saville Inquiry website and domain name. These costs ran between 31 August 2010 and 31 March 2013, at which point the contract was terminated.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether invoices for legal or other work carried out in connection with the Savile Inquiry have been submitted for payment since January 2013.
Government answer
Answering body: Northern Ireland Office
No invoices have been submitted for payment in respect of legal work in connection with the Saville Inquiry. An invoice was submitted in March 2013 for hosting of the Inquiry website.
That this House is concerned about the significant shortfall in core funding provided to groups representing and supporting the victims of terrorist violence in Northern Ireland by the Community Relations Council and other funding bodies; recognises the excellent work carried out by such victims groups in providing welfare support to the families who have lost loved ones as a result of terrorist violence; notes the huge amount of money provided to terrorist prisoners' support groups and spent...
That this House recognises the fact that the Saville Inquiry into events in Londonderry in January 1972 has been ongoing for several years; and demands that recent revelations by the Police regarding the bombing of the nearby village of Claudy in the same year and the alleged involvement in that atrocity by a now deceased Roman Catholic priest be the subject of a detailed public inquiry.