Death: Northern Ireland
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse for (a) inquiries and (b) legal proceedings relating to (i) the deaths of four men following the use of lethal force in County Tyrone in February 1992 and (ii) other lethal incidents involving the IRA from the same period.
Answered by Hilary Benn
The cost of public inquiries will differ according to the scope of each Inquiry. The cost of legal proceedings will also differ substantially according to the scope of each case. It is not therefore possible to provide an accurate comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse of those respective undertakings.
The Northern Ireland Office’s spend on legal costs is included within our Annual Report and Accounts, although we do not differentiate between legal costs we incur and costs we pay to claimants’ lawyers. Costs for public inquiries are published by the Inquiries themselves.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →