Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the highest hourly rate was that (a) her Department and (b) each of her Department's arms-length bodies paid for legal advice in 2018.

The Northern Ireland Office uses legal services from a variety of providers, however the information requested is not separately recorded. To provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.

The Northern Ireland Office has three executive non-departmental public bodies – the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the Independent Reporting Commission and the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland; and one advisory non-departmental public body – the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. As these bodies are independent of Government, the hon Member may wish to write to the Commissions directly on these matters – contact details are set out below: