Knowsley Liberal Democrats, objected at a pre-inquiry meeting yesterday to the start date of November 18, which comes three months after the decision to have an inquiry was announced.

Their arguments were that the volume of paperwork was too much forpeople to digest in such a short space of time.

The inquiry is expected to run for at least four weeks. It will sit from Tuesday to Friday, between 10am and 5pm, and on Fridays until 4pm.