Rebekah Brooks, Rupert Murdoch phone hacking hearing in "some confusion"

An MP has admitted that there is still "some confusion" over whether Rebekah Brooks, Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch will appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee next Tuesday.

News International chief executive Brooks, News Corporation chief executive Rupert and News International chairman James have been invited to give evidence over the phone hacking scandal in front of the committee.

Conservative MP John Whittingdale, who chairs the committee, earlier told the BBC that the trio would attend next week's hearing.

He said that it was a "measure of the seriousness of this entire matter, for the whole of News Corporation, that they have agreed to come and appear before the committee".

Whittingdale added that he was pleased they had chosen to attend and "take on their critics and account for themselves in Parliament", predicting: "I suspect there will be an awful lot of people who want to attend."

> Jeremy Hunt refers Rupert Murdoch's Sky takeover bid to Competition Commission
> Rupert Murdoch: 'Rebekah Brooks is my top priority'

However, the MP later told BBC Radio 4 that there still wasn't any "final confirmation" that Brooks and the two Murdochs will appear at the hearing.

"There is some confusion reigning," he said. "We understood that a News International spokesman had said that all three would attend but now it appears that we haven't had final confirmation of that. I still hope very much that they will come."

As part of a wide inquiry, the committee previously looked into phone hacking allegations in 2009.

In 2003, when Brooks was editor of The Sun, she appeared before the committee during an inquiry into media intrusion when she told MPs: "We have paid the police for information in the past."

A poll last night found that 82% of the public feel that Brooks should resign.

> News of the World employee grills Rebekah Brooks in leaked recording
> News Corp investors attack Rupert Murdoch over "family candy jar"