Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make an estimate of the cost to House of Commons authorities of the (a) internal and (b) external legal advice and (c) legal support provided to the Committee of Privileges on the inquiry into the Rt hon Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip; what the estimated budget for the inquiry is, and what role the Commission plays in establishing the budget for legal advice for Committee inquiries.

Internal legal advice is provided by salaried members of the Office of Speaker’s Counsel. No additional resources have been required in order to support this inquiry, which has been covered by the ordinary costs of running that Office.

External legal advice has been provided to the Committee by Sir Ernest Ryder KC, at the request of the Committee. The total cost of this advice to date has been £17,850.

Committee inquiries do not have allocated budgets.

The Commission has no involvement in establishing the budget for advice for individual Committee inquiries. Standing Order No. 148A gives the Committee of Privileges power to appoint legal advisers.