HC Deb 14 February 1997 vol 290 cc327-8W
Mr. Robin Cook

To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. [14531]

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 6 February 1997]: The amount spent by my Department on external advice in relation to giving evidence to the Scott inquiry and the preparation of the Government's response to it is £771,974. The whole of this amount was for legal advice and included £80,307 representing the value of legal services charged by the Treasury Solicitor's Department. It also includes £127,870 for the costs of legal advice for independent witnesses which were paid for by Sir Richard Scott's inquiry and therefore fell to this Department. External legal advice was obtained from Alistair Thompson and Partners, Barnett Alexander Chart, Beechcroft Stanleys, Blythe Liggins, Hamilton Burns and Moore, Harris Rosenblatt and Kramer, Herbert Smith, Irwin Mitchell, Mr. Gordon Jackson, Kingsley Napley, Mr. S. Richards and Russell Jones and Walker.

Mr. Cook

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total cost of salaries since 1992 paid to persons in his Department employed on a part-time or full-time basis in any capacity relating to the Scott inquiry. [14530]

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 6 February 1997]: The direct salary cost of officials within DTI wholly employed on matters relating to the Scott inquiry since 1992 was approximately £324,000. Other officials were involved from time to time; their direct salary cost is unquantifiable. This figure does not include the salary cost of those involved in taking forward the Department's review of strategic export controls since the end of August.

The direct salary cost since 1992 of Sir Richard Scott's inquiry team, which also fell to my Department was approximately £852,000.