Preliminary Meetings Of Cervical Screening Inquiry

19 November 1999

Preliminary Meetings for Cervical Screening Inquiry

The preliminary meetings for the Ministerial Inquiry into the Cervical Screening Inquiry have been completed.

About 70 people were at the first meeting in Gisborne yesterday (Thursday) and about 25 attended the second in Auckland today.

Legal counsel assisting the inquiry, Roydon Hindle, said the aim of the preliminary meetings was to allow people wanting to make submissions to discuss how the process should work. They were an information gathering mechanism for the team, he said.

At the meetings people could talk to the legal counsel assisting the team privately as an alternative to speaking publicly.

The panel would now consider the information received and finalise timings and the process for the inquiry.

The substantive hearings would probably start in the New Year, instead of November as originally thought, but the team would be able to finalise the timetable after considering the information received at the preliminary meetings.

Inquiry team member Druis Barrett said she would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to the preliminary meetings.

Inquiry Team members are;

Ailsa Duffy, QC

Mrs Druis Barrett

Dr Gordon Wright

Counsel assisting the inquiry are Royden Hindle and Hanne Janes

ENDS

Please note there will be no further comment at this stage. A media release will be distributed when the Inquiry Team has decided on the hearing timetable.

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