§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Attorney-General if he will provide details of each legal action commenced by the Government in respect of the book "Spycatcher", what has been the outcome in each case; and what has been the total cost in each case to date.
The Solicitor-GeneralThe High Court of Australia will hear in about March 1988 the Government's appeal against the judgment of the New South Wales Court of Appeal in the action brought against Heinemann (Australia) and Mr. Peter Wright to restrain publication of material attributed to Mr. Wright and to seek an account of profits. The total amount of costs expended to date by the Government in the Australian proceedings is about £299,750.
In this country, the House of Lords in July upheld the interim injunction obtained last year restraining the publication of material attributed to Mr. Wright. The trial of the Government's action against The Guardian and The Observer newspapers, in which the High Court has agreed that The Sunday Times should be joined, is due to start in November. The total amount of costs expended to date by the Government in these proceedings is about £120.
In New Zealand an interim injunction was obtained in August against The Dominion newspaper restraining the publication of material attributed to Mr. Wright. The trial is due to start next month. Earlier this month an interim injunction was obtained against London Books to restrain them from importing, selling or distributing "Spycatcher"; and, after proceedings had been instituted against them, Heinemann (New Zealand) gave an undertaking to the same effect. The total amount of costs expended to date by the Government in the New Zealand proceedings is about £13,400.
In Hong Kong an interim injunction was obtained in August against the South China Morning Post newspaper. No date for the hearing of the substantive action has yet been set. The total amount of costs expended to date by the Government in the Hong Kong proceedings is about £730.