HC Deb 06 February 1997 vol 289 cc659-60W
Mr. Robin Cook

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a breakdown of the spending by his Department on external advice in relation to the Scott inquiry, indicating how much has been spent on legal advice and from whom it was obtained. [14537]

Mr. Hanley

The amount spent by this Department on legal advice in relation to giving evidence to the Scott inquiry and the preparation of the Government's response to it was £414,567.03. This figure includes £228,446.03, representing the value of legal services charged by the Treasury Solicitor's Department. External legal advice was obtained from Messrs Smith Bernal Reporting Ltd., Messrs Barlow Lyde and Gilbert, and Messrs Allen and Overy.