Acknowledgements
1 The Tribunal wishes to express its gratitude to everyone who has contributed to its work, including Flintshire County Council, which provided us with a convenient and well equipped venue for our work.
2 We were very fortunate to be served by staff of high quality and excellent temperament, who were willing to work very long hours without complaint in order to keep up with a demanding time-table. Counsel to the Tribunal provided outstanding leadership in gathering and presenting the evidence and we are grateful to them for advising us soundly throughout. The Treasury Solicitor's team and the administrative staff also were indefatigable and ensured the smooth running of our hearings in the face of many difficulties.
3 We would not have been able to hear and assimilate such a large volume of evidence in 195 working days without the highly professional and unstinted assistance of Counsel and solicitors acting for all the parties.
4 The production of the Tribunal's report has been an arduous task lasting well over a year. In that work we have been helped by a small but very efficient team led by Fiona Walkingshaw and administered by Richard Groves. We mention particularly Colin Salters, who has undertaken much analysis and research for us, Helen Burke and Maureen Griffiths, who have been responsible for processing the whole of it, and David Norbury, our Press Officer, who has performed his duties with great courtesy and tact.
