Could you please tell me how much Devon County Council has spent on external legal advice and external legal representation since January 2014 to the present and;
Provide a yearly breakdown of the figures and please specify which payments were counsels’ fees.
We do not hold a central record of this information as we do not break down figures in that way. Devon County Council make payments to external solicitors for a number of reasons, not just for the provision of legal advice or representation and therefore are unable to provide the totals.
We can, however, provide the totals for counsels’ fees as follows:
2015/16: £992,428.40
2016/17:£1,043,334.03
2017/18:£693,920.59
2018/19:£1,117,071.28
Provide the names all law firms and individuals who have supplied such services over these years.
For the same reason that we have difficulties providing an answer to question 1, we also do not hold a record of all law firms and individuals, which may include counsel, employees of law firms and other local authorities who have supplied these services.
Detail the tendering process used for the selection of external legal advisors.
A copy of the latest tender invitation is attached for you to view. via the link below: