PRESS NOTICE 06/06 25TH OCTOBER 2006

The Billy Wright Inquiry oral hearings – week commencing 30 October 2006

The oral hearings of the Billy Wright Inquiry will commence at the Europa Hotel, Great Victoria Street, Belfast at 10.00am on Monday 30 October 2006.

The Inquiry will sit from Monday 30 October to Friday 3 November. Hearings will commence at 10.00am and conclude at 4.30pm. The Panel will rise daily at approximately 1.00pm for an hour.

The oral hearings are public and the hearing room will be open from 9.30am onwards although Inquiry personnel will be present earlier. All those attending the oral hearings will be required to undergo a security check and have any bags they carry with them scanned.

No mobile telephones, cameras or recording devices will be permitted in the hearing room. Inquiry personnel will retain any such belongings before the public enter the hearing room and return them when they leave.

A transcript of the hearings will be posted onto the Billy Wright Inquiry website (www.thebillywrightinquiry.org).

A witness schedule will be available on Monday 30 October.

Any questions resulting from this press notice should be addressed to the Secretary to the Inquiry.

Contact details:

Mrs Oonagh McIntosh
Secretary to the Inquiry
Conference House
152, Morrison Street
The Exchange
Edinburgh
EH3 8EB

Tel: 0131 248 2405

E-mail: info@billywrightinquiry.org

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

1.The oral hearings in weeks commencing 30 October and 4 December 2006 are in respect of document recovery from the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

2.Limited seating will be provided for the media within the hearing room. If there are no seats in the media area then seating in the public area should be used. Members of the media are invited to arrive prior to the commencement of oral hearings to avoid any delay for them entering the hearing room.

3.It will help the Inquiry if you could advise the Secretary to the Inquiry by 3.00pm on Friday 27 October if you are attending the oral hearings at the Europa Hotel.

4.No sketching will be allowed of any witness who has been granted anonymity by the Inquiry Panel.

5.No mobile telephones, cameras andor recording devices will be permitted in the hearing room. Such items should be handed to Inquiry personnel on arrival and can be retrieved and returned as often as is necessary during the week of oral hearings.