HOME Secretary Alan Johnson last night confirmed an independent panel would be set up to oversee the release of the Hillsborough files, 20 years after the event.
Mr Johnson was speaking after he – together with Liverpool-born Health Secretary Andy Burnham, and Justice Minister Michael Wills – met with members of the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG).
Families of the 96 disaster victims have been pressing for the 30-year secrecy rule governing police, Home Office and local authority documents to be relaxed.
Describing the meeting as “useful and productive,” Mr Johnson reiterated that the Government was committed to “full disclosure” of the information, which would be done in close co-operation with South Yorkshire police. He confirmed last month that the pertinent documents on the 1989 disaster could run to 20,000 pages, all of which will be carefully scrutinised.
The body that will oversee the release of this information will be called the Hillsborough Independent Panel.
Describing Hillsborough as “a terrible tragedy,” Mr Johnson said: “Disclosure will take into account the wishes of the families to protect sensitive and personal information about the victims.
“With this in mind, the Government will seek to ensure that representatives of the Hillsborough families will have prior disclosure of documents on an agreed timescale before they are made available.
“The Government will continue to work with families to complete this work.”
