The Irish and British governments are to establish a joint independent commission to facilitate the return of the bodies of people abducted and killed by the IRA.The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, and the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, are today expected to sign an agreement designed to pave the way for receiving information on the location of the burial places of those known as "the disappeared".It is understood that the new commission will also handle the actual location of the remains.Prior to the signing of the agreement, Mr O'Donoghue will secure Government approval for the latest move to recover the bodies and to return them to their families. Legislation allowing for the establishment of the commission is due to be published shortly, and the Opposition parties will be informed of its implications.Before the drawing up of the Hillsborough Declaration, the IRA last month issued a statement naming the people it had killed and buried without informing their next of kin of the locations. It confirmed that the organisation was preparing to facilitate the return of the remains of the dead, including one woman, Mrs Jean McConville.However, shortly afterwards it emerged that immunity from prosecution would have to be in place before the IRA would proceed.