The British government was today accused of a "negligent" and "deliberate failure" to co-operate with the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.
Lord Gifford QC, representing the family of Jim Wray, who was one of 13 men killed by British paratroopers on Bloody Sunday, said vital information had only been released after four and a half years, and several unanswered submissions and requests.
Yesterday he made a written submission to the inquiry, sitting in London, protesting about the lateness of the information and accusing the Cabinet Office of suppressing information. He also issued a press release.
The missing documents included some ministerial briefings, notes of the Northern Ireland Cabinet Committees chaired by former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath in 1972 and transcripts of conversations between Sir Edward and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Brian Faulkner.
Some of the missing documents could throw light on Sir Edward Heath's prior knowledge of the fatal army arrest operation at the Derry civil rights march on January 30th, 1972, he said.
Within hours of making the submission, some of the documents were circulated to the inquiry. They had been supplied by the Cabinet Office last month but were unavailable for circulation because they were being examined.
Lord Gifford told the inquiry he was withdrawing the suppression allegation.
PA