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What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Answered Question 9279 (2026)
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Asked by

Camilla Belich

List MP · Labour Party

Question

  • What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Answered by

Hon Paul Goldsmith

List MP · National Party · Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage

Answer

I refer the Member to reply number 13563 (2025) for the total amount spent on legal advice by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage from 27 November 2023 to 26 March 2025. As per Speaker’s Ruling 199/6, I do not consider it to be in the public interest to undertake an exercise to identify and collate the additional material requested (the requested information for the entities I am responsible for, data since 2020/21 and the nature of the legal work), as it will require a significant diversion of resource. The Member may wish to consider asking a more specific question.