We anticipate that the cost of the Iraq inquiry will be comparable with previous similar Privy Counsellor inquiries. It is too soon to know the full costs, but the Government are committed to publishing the costs in due course. The Prime Minister said in his statement to the House on 15 June 2009 establishing the inquiry that he expected that the inquiry will take at least a year.
A number of Government Departments are providing papers to the Iraq Inquiry. The costs of doing this will be met from within existing budgets.
The members of the Iraq Inquiry are paid at the following rates: Chairman—£790.00 per day; Committee members—£565.00 per day. Witnesses who are current or former Ministers, civil servants or military officers may claim reasonable travel costs and out of pocket expenses for attending evidence sessions in line with standard departmental entitlements and rates.
The breakdown by grade of the 19 staff in the Iraq Inquiry secretariat is as follows:
Number Senior civil service 4 Band A (grade 6 and 7) 8 Band B2 (HEO/SEO) 3 Band B1 (EO) 2 Band C (AO) 2
It is for the inquiry, which is independent, to decide how it deploys its staff across its areas of work. In addition to the staff in the secretariat, the inquiry has engaged five temporary administrative and security staff from recruitment agencies to assist with the running of the oral hearings.