Culture, Media and Sport CommitteeLetter from the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee to James Murdoch, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chairman and CEO, International, News Corporation

During the Committee’s recent evidence session on 19 July 2011, you made a number of commitments to write to the Committee with further information. For your convenience, I have listed these questions below and attached the relevant pages of the transcript:

(1)You promised to explain why News International did not disclose internal e-mails that would have aided the appeal of Mr Tommy Sheridan? [Q236]

(2)Please supply the News Corporation code of conduct document and indicate whether you require your executives to mak e annual statements that they have abided by your codes of conduct and ethics. [Q250]

(3)Were the settlements to Gordon Taylor and Max Clifford paid by News International, News Corporation or News Group Newspapers? [Q256]

(4)Please supply details of the contract with Mr Max Clifford, which was cancelled by Mr Andy Coulson. [Q285 & Q286]

(5)Please supply details of payments made to Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire subsequent to their guilty plea, and tell us who signed them off. [Q 294 & Q295 & Q321]

(6)Please confirm what legal fees have been paid in respect of Glenn Mulcaire and the current situation regarding such payments. If his legal costs are still being paid, please provide details of the contract or other obligations assumed that oblige his legal costs to be paid. [Q320]

(7)Please indicate when, precisely, you first came to know about the file of emails that was discovered, allegedly in the offices of Harbottle and Lewis. [Q326]

(8)Please provide the instructions given to Harbottle and Lewis. [Q340]

(9)Could you tell the Committee the extent of the information that was given to Harbottle and Lewis out of the totality of information that was available? [Q340]

(10)Please indicate whether you would like to reconsider the Harbottle and Lewis letter provided to the Committee during its 2009 inquiry, and, if so, why.[Q347]

In addition to the above, we would like to ask you the following questions, which arise from points made during oral evidence:

Based on Qq 242, 243, 244 and 247:

(11)Before authorising the Gordon Taylor settlement, what did you know of the interception and other facts surrounding it including: by whom it was carried out; and on whose instruction or behalf? How, when and by whom were you told; and what evidence did you see or ask for regarding the interception?

(12)What did you know of the interception and other ‘facts’ surrounding it, including by whom it was carried out and on whose What are the financial thresholds for payments that would have required the approval of the Editor or of any of the other editorial postholders?

(13)What are the financial thresholds for payments that would have required the approval of the Editor or of any of the other editorial postholders?

(14)What is the maximum amount that could have been paid out by a single journalist without requiring approval a) in one transaction; b) in one year; b) to one person?

(15)Please describe the accounting process for petty cash transactions, including an indication of how long these records are kept for.

(16)Please give an indication of whether any of the records have been examined to look for payments to people who are neither employed by News International nor by approved suppliers and, if they have, details of who these people are.

Based on Q249

(17)How many people have been disciplined or dismissed for violation of News International’s Corporate Code of Conduct each year since 2000?

(18)What mechanisms and processes does News Corporation have in place to ensure that it will find out about any criminal or fraudulent activity that has been committed within the company or any of its subsidiaries?

Based on Qq 539 and 540 (originally directed at Rebekah Brooks)

(19)Please tell us which Editor, Night Editor, News Editor and lawyer were on duty reviewing the stories for the paper published on April 14th 2002, including the story that makes reference to a voicemail in the Milly Dowler case?

Please send the response to the Committee’s secretariat using the contact details above. I would appreciate your response no later than 11 August.

The Committee reserves the right to call you back to give further oral evidence.

29 July 2011