Leal Services
We were asked:
Details
Under the FOI Act please disclose for the last 5 years:
Q.The names of organisations/firms of solicitors, and the total monies you paid to each of them, appointed by you for the provision of external legal services to you (that is, for provision to you of any legal services not provided by your in-house legal department)
We replied:
A.The table below shows the Wales Office spend on external legal services in the last 5 years.
| Year | Company/Government Department | Total Amount £s |
| 2008-09 | Office of the Parliamentary Counsel | 331,827.00 |
| 2009-10 | Office of the Parliamentary Counsel | 313,492.00 |
| Treasury Solicitors Office | 43,677.58 | |
| 2010-11 | Treasury Solicitors Office | 89.00 |
| 2011-12 | Office of the Parliamentary Counsel | 4,025.00 |
| Treasury Solicitors Office | 435.10 | |
| Geldards Solicitors | 25,250.00 | |
| 2012-13 | Treasury Solicitors Office | 39,975.23 |
| Geldards Solicitors | 15,715.75 |
We were asked:
Q.Whether such appointments were made via public procurement processes. If so, please disclose details of where and how they were published. If however no procurement/s were carried out in some or in all of the above instances, please explain which instances and the reasons for not tendering in such instances. Also please let me have the particular section and paragraph of any relevant legislation which waived your duty to publicly tender for external legal services.
We replied:
A.Between 2008-09 and 2010-11 the Wales Office sought external legal advice only from other government departments, and therefore no public procurement processes were required. In March 2012 the Wales Office obtained legal advice from Geldards Solicitors on the surrender of the lease for our office at Discovery House, Cardiff, and on signing a new lease for an office in Caspian Point, Cardiff. Geldards Solicitors were appointed by the landlords, and so were not subject to public appointment.