Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government spent on bringing a legal challenge against the European Council on the decision to establish enhanced cooperation to implement a Financial Transaction Tax; what proportion of the total cost is (a) costs the UK will have to pay as a result of having lost the legal challenge, (b) staff time, (c) transport to and from Brussels, (d) legal fees and (e) other costs; what the names are of any external lawyers employed on this case; and if he will make a statement.
By convention, Institutions and Member States do not seek to enforce costs against each other, and therefore the UK will not pay any Court costs. There were no travel costs to and from Brussels related to the legal challenge. On legal fees, the UK has paid £67,808 for external legal counsel. Information on staff time and other costs is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.