BRITISH PRIME minister Gordon Brown has reaffirmed that his government will finance the new Stormont Department of Justice to the tune of some £800 million (nearly €920 million).
The detailed finance document, released on October 21st in London, sets out how the PSNI, the courts and the prison services will be funded. Critically, however, the package also includes monies earmarked to meet significant one-off costs.
These include a large number of hearing loss compensation claims filed by police officers from the Troubles and the costs associated with a new police training college called for by the Patten commission.
The funding letter also stipulates how the British government will support the Stormont Executive’s policing and justice Bill if there are exceptional cost implications.
Money has also been set aside to help meet a backlog in legal aid payments being faced by the court service. A further one-off payment of £12 million will ease pressure on the courts, with a promise to provide up to a further £39 million if necessary.