Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what legal advice the Government has sought on the potential effect of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on the NHS; what the cost was to the public purse of provision of such advice; and if he will publish the legal advice on this matter his Department has received.

Anna Soubry

Legal advice the Government has received in relation to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is subject to legal professional privilege and as such is not disclosable. This is a well-established principle which there is compelling public interest in upholding.

It is essential for the effective conduct of the Government’s business that ministers are able to seek candid advice from their lawyers and to discuss and debate possible policy options fully. They are less likely to hold full and frank discussions with their legal advisers if there is an expectation that the advice will subsequently be disclosable.

We do not maintain records of the total cost of the legal advice.