Les Hinton to give more phone hacking evidence

Les Hinton, the former right-hand man to Rupert Murdoch, is to give evidence to MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport select committee for the third time on October 24, it has been announced.

Hinton, who was executive chairman of News International from 1995 to 2007, will be quizzed by MPs investigating phone hacking at the News of the World via videolink from the US.

Hinton acted as chief executive of Murdoch's Dow Jones company until July, when he resigned amidst the flood of phone hacking allegations against the UK newspaper.

The British-American told MPs in March 2007 that he felt phone hacking at the News of the World was down to just one reporter, Clive Goodman, who was jailed that year for the practice.

Hinton reiterated that position in September 2009 and said at the time of his resignation from Dow Jones that he had been "ignorant of what apparently happened" at the defunct Sunday tabloid.

He said that he had decided to quit because "in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp and apologise to those hurt by the actions of News of the World".

Also due to appear before the committee is Julian Pike, of News International's solicitors Farrer & Co, on October 19, and Mark Lewis, the solicitor representing various phone hacking victims, including the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The MPs are keen to clear up the circumstances behind a settlement agreed with phone hacking victim Gordon Taylor, the boss of the Professional Footballer's Association, in April 2008.

Pike acted for News International in the case, which is thought to have occurred after Taylor's legal team uncovered an email sent by a News of the World journalist containing a transcript of messages left on Taylor's phone.

The message was marked "for Neville", and is understood to have been intended for the News of the World's chief reporter Neville Thurllbeck, suggesting that phone hacking practices extended well beyond just Goodman at the Sunday tabloid.

News International chairman James Murdoch has also been called to give more evidence to the MPs after his claim that he was unaware of the "for Neville" email when he signed off the Taylor payment was contradicted by two executives at the paper.

Lewis acted on behalf of Taylor in the phone hacking case, which is understood to have been settled with a £425,000 payout plus costs.