Written evidence from Rt Hon Shaun Woodward
MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
COST OF
THE CONSULTATIVE
GROUP ON
THE PAST
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to announce
the Government's public consultation on the Consultative Group
on the Past's recommendations when I appeared before your Committee
on 24 June. At that hearing, I agreed to write to the Committee
with information about the costs of the Group, including the cost
of producing the consultation paper and the payments made to Group
members.
The consultation paper was printed using an in-house
printing service for which there was no charge to my department.
Because the papers were printed as part of a much larger print
run by another department, it is not possible to quantify the
precise cost of printing. The only charge the Northern Ireland
Office incurred when launching the consultation related to the
cost of placing public announcements in the Northern Ireland press
(the Belfast Telegraph, Irish News and News Letter)
to ensure that as wide a range of people as possible across Northern
Ireland were aware of the consultation. This totalled £1,565.07.
The total cost of the Consultative Group over its
19 months of operation was £1.28 million. Of this, £556,000
was paid to the eight group members. The two co-chairs were paid
a daily rate of £680 and the other group members were paid
a daily rate of £350.
I understand that the Committee would also like
to know whether I have invited comment from the Finucane family
on the Group's proposals on Public Inquiries. The consultation
is open to anyone to respond, but I have asked my officials to
send copies of the consultation paper to, and invite comments
from, everyone who engaged with the Consultative Group—this
includes the family and representatives of Patrick Finucane. My
officials also invited the Finucane family to share their views
on the Report in correspondence earlier this year. So far, we
have not received any views from the Finucane family.
16 July 2009
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