To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which public affairs firms were given contracts by (a) her Department and (b) public bodies sponsored by her Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract. (118474)

The Commission for Judicial Appointments, which was constitutionally independent of the Department, engaged Luther Pendragon from 2002 to March 2006. The Commissioners wished to promote their views of the merits of the judicial appointment processes independently of the Government.

No other public affairs contracts have been awarded either by my Department or the public bodies it sponsors in the last five years.