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Hillsborough inquests cost £6.6m to set up, figures show | Hillsborough inquests cost £6.6m to set up, figures show |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The new Hillsborough inquests cost £6.6m to set up, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice. | The new Hillsborough inquests cost £6.6m to set up, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice. |
It is the first set of accounts published by the government which show the cost of the hearings into the 1989 disaster, in which 96 fans died. | |
The figures cover February 2013 to March 2014, before the start of the new inquests in Warrington, Cheshire. | |
Hillsborough Family Support Group Chairwoman Margaret Aspinall said "you can't put a price on the lives lost". | |
The new inquests were ordered after the original inquest verdicts were quashed in 2012. | |
Who were the 96 victims? | Who were the 96 victims? |
BBC News: Profiles of all those who died | BBC News: Profiles of all those who died |
Mrs Aspinall, whose son James, 18, died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, said: "Although I know it's rather upsetting really to hear about how much it has cost, we've got to remember it has cost a lot of lives as well. | |
"The lives that went and were taken that day... the upset, the hurt, the pain. We've had this for nearly 26 years." | |
The inquests are being held in a purpose-built courtroom, the biggest in England and Wales, constructed in an office building in Birchwood Park, Warrington. | |
Accommodation including fitting out the court was the biggest cost at £3.1m. | Accommodation including fitting out the court was the biggest cost at £3.1m. |
The accounts show £2.2m was spent on the coroner's legal team but the expenditure for other barristers and solicitors for the Hillsborough families and the police have not been included. | The accounts show £2.2m was spent on the coroner's legal team but the expenditure for other barristers and solicitors for the Hillsborough families and the police have not been included. |
Mrs Aspinall said: "Families have had to look and fundraise for every step of the way to where we are today. | |
"This is the only time we've ever had help for inquests. We paid, we were travelling up to Sheffield every day for a generic inquest, travelling to Leeds for a private prosecution. | |
"It has cost a lot of families their lives, those who would love to be here with us today. | |
"Money, you can earn money again, you can never bring them lives back. | |
"You can't put a price on them lives. | |
"It's a shame that again the poor taxpayers have got to pay but there's nothing we can do about that." | |
The inquests started on 31 March with statements about the Liverpool supporters who died in the crush at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium. |
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