Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his oral statement of 11 September 2024 on Patrick Finucane Murder, Official Report, columns 842-3, when he plans to (a) appoint a chair of the inquiry and (b) have agreed terms of reference; and what steps he is taking to avoid unnecessary costs.

The Government will follow due process under the Inquiries Act 2005 in establishing the inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane. This will include the appointment of the Inquiry Chair and consulting him on the Terms of Reference.

As outlined in my oral statement of 11 September 2024, I have considered the likely costs and impact on the public finances. It is the Government’s expectation that the inquiry will - while doing everything that is required to discharge the State’s human rights obligations - 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.