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3 Feb 2009 : Column 990W—continued
Departmental Public Relations
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of his Department’s contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years. [251251]
Mr. Woodward: The following table provides details of the Northern Ireland Office’s expenditure on contracts with public relations companies (excluding agencies and Executive NDPBs) in each of the last five years:
| Financial year | Value of contracts (£) |
These companies have been used to provide goods and services in relation to newspaper and television advertising, such as crime prevention campaigns, and the production of leaflets and DVDs which were issued to the public.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course. [252239]
Mr. Woodward: Staff within the Northern Ireland Office have not undertaken any digital media courses provided by the Intranet Advertising Bureau in 2008.
Saville Inquiry
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 886W, on the Saville Inquiry, (1) which firms have worked for the inquiry; for how many hours they have worked; and whom they have represented; [243241]
(2) how much each legal firm has received. [243242]
Mr. Woodward: I am advised that the expenditure on legal representatives (both Counsel and solicitors' firms) by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry up to the end of December 2008 is:
| Payments made (£) | |
I am advised that payments made by the Ministry of Defence for legal representation up to the end of December 2008 are:
| Payments made (£) | |
Given the volume of legal representation involved throughout the lifespan of the inquiry, information on hours worked is not readily available, particularly where final settlements were negotiated. A comprehensive and accurate breakdown of the number of hours worked by each legal representative would require a manual trawl of thousands of claims, and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 886W, on the Saville Inquiry, what the reasons are for increases in expenditure on legal fees. [243243]
Mr. Woodward: The figure for expenditure on legal fees provided in my answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 886W, included payments to lawyers working for the inquiry and to lawyers representing interested parties and witnesses before the inquiry (including those funded by the Ministry of Defence).
I would expect some further increase in this figure as the final few settlements are reached in respect of fees for work already carried out. The vast majority of such fees have already been settled, but there remain a small number to be resolved. There will also be a continuing need for some legal work, particularly by lawyers working for the inquiry on preparation of its report.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reasons Lord Saville has given for his discussions to set the date for delivery to him of the report of the Saville Inquiry in autumn 2009. [243377]
Mr. Woodward: In Lord Saville’s letter to me of 4 November 2008, notifying me of the delay in submission of his report, he gave me the following explanation:
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