The Home Office met all costs for running the Advisory Panel on Country Information (APCI) until the function was transferred to the new independent chief inspector of the UK Border Agency in April 2008. The Chair and members of the APCI were unpaid and expenditure was limited to research costs for evaluating Home Office country information material, recruitment of members and the expenses associated with meetings. These were approximately as follows for the years 2005 to 2008:
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Research 48,170 46,040 14,500 Meetings 1,120 3,360 760 Members’ expenses (estimate) 2,000 3,200 1,200 Recruitment 3,100 4,360 — Total 54,390 56,960 16,460 Notes: 1. Costs exclude VAT 2. Figures rounded to nearest £10