Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Northern Ireland Office

Following the publication of its terms of reference in March 2026, The Patrick Finucane Inquiry has been legally established. It held its preliminary hearing in June 2026, with a further hearing scheduled in September.

The Inquiry is an independent statutory public inquiry, established under the Inquiries Act 2005 to complete an Article 2 ECHR compliant investigation into the murder of Patrick Finucane. As the sponsoring department, my officials continue to work closely with the Inquiry whilst ensuring its independence is maintained. The Inquiry is still in its early stages and further work is required before detailed plans can be published. The Chair has been clear that the Inquiry will be rigorous, and will work as quickly and effectively as possible .

Answering body: Northern Ireland Office

Patrick Finucane was brutally murdered in February 1989 in front of his wife, Geraldine, and three children. Mrs Finucane and her family have sought answers about the killing of their loved one for over 37 years. I am pleased that the Patrick Finucane Inquiry has now got underway, following the publication of its terms of reference.

The Inquiry is an independent statutory public inquiry, established under the Inquiries Act 2005 to complete an Article 2 ECHR compliant investigation into the murder of Patrick Finucane. While I am the Sponsor Minister for the Inquiry, it is rightly independent from Government. Inquiry spend is therefore an operational matter for the Inquiry, and details of Inquiry spending will be published on their website in due course.

Answering body: Northern Ireland Office

As I outlined in my oral statement of 11 September 2024, I considered the likely costs and impact of the Patrick Finucane Inquiry on public finances. It is the Government’s expectation that the Inquiry will avoid unnecessary costs given all the previous reviews and investigations and the large amount of information and material that is already in the public domain. Public inquiries regularly publish financial reports on their expenditure in the course of their work.

Answering body: Northern Ireland Office

Under the Inquiries Act, the power to establish a statutory independent inquiry and the constitution of the inquiry lie with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

In the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 13 June, he set out that he had appointed Baroness O’Loan and Francesca Del Mese as Assessors to the Patrick Finucane Inquiry under section 11 of the Inquiries Act 2005 in accordance with the established appointments process. The Secretary of State then informed the Finucane family in the week of the announcement in line with customary practice. Their role is to provide expert advice to the Rt Hon Sir Gary Hickinbottom who has been appointed as Chair of the Inquiry under section 1 of the Act. I remain confident that these appointments have the relevant knowledge, experience and professionalism the Inquiry requires.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

Since 2020, His Majesty’s Government has supported 16 public inquiries under the Inquiries Act 2005. The Cabinet Office does not centrally hold data on the yearly public funding to inquiries as each Government Department is responsible for the inquiries they sponsor.

Four inquiries have been established so far in 2025. The Independent inquiry into Manston short-term holding facility and the Stockport Inquiry will be sponsored by the Home Office, the Nottingham Inquiry will be sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, and the Patrick Finucane Inquiry by the Northern Ireland Office.

Answering body: Northern Ireland Office

The settlement in the Autumn Budget for the Northern Ireland Office includes funding for priorities related to the legacy of the Troubles, including making provision for the establishment of the Inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane. The bulk of the costs of the Inquiry will fall in the next Spending Round. It is the Government’s expectation that the Inquiry will avoid unnecessary costs given all the previous reviews and investigations, and the large amount of information and material that is already in the public domain.

Answering body: Northern Ireland Office

I am keen that the Inquiry is able to begin its work without undue delay. The Inquiries Act 2005 sets out clear steps to follow in setting up an inquiry, including the appointment of the Chair, agreement on the Terms of Reference, working through the necessary logistics such as facilities and services procurement, and setting up the Inquiry secretariat.

I will provide an update on the Terms of Reference once it has been agreed with the Chair.

Answering body: Northern Ireland Office

As mentioned in my previous Written Answer, the Government takes reasonable steps to control the costs of inquiries, including capping legal costs as appropriate.

The Government asked Judge Peter Cory to re-investigate the death of Patrick Finucane. This was not a public inquiry but led to public inquiries into the deaths of Rosemary Nelson, Billy Wright, Robert Hamill and Patrick Finucane.

The Robert Hamill Inquiry is yet to publish its Report and therefore its final costs are not yet available. The Government is in the process of setting up the Patrick Finucane Inquiry and has considered the likely costs and impact on the public finances. The Government’s expectation is that the inquiry will avoid unnecessary costs given the work done in all the previous reviews and investigations and the large amount of information and material that is already in the public domain.

Sir Desmond de Silva was appointed to conduct an independent review into the death of Patrick Finucane, but like Cory, this was not a public inquiry. Sir John Stevens’ investigation was commissioned and funded by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (now PSNI).