Committee to publish phone-hacking report next week

The parliamentary committee tasked with investigating the phone-hacking scandal will reveal their conclusions in a report next week.

The Culture, Media and Sport select committee has heard from a number of current and former senior News International executives as part of its investigation, including James and Rupert Murdoch, former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, former News of the World editor Colin Myler and former legal manager for the tabloid Tom Crone.

Last month, ahead of the committee publishing its report, James Murdoch submitted a seven-page letter in which he apologised that "a full investigation into the facts" was not carried out by News International in response to the committee's 2010 report.

Murdoch, who is now deputy chief operating officer at News Corporation, also said in the letter that he stands by his previous testimony that he "did not know about, nor did I try to hide wrongdoing".

But he added "with the benefit of hindsight" he does acknowledge "that it would have been better if I had asked more questions, requested more documents and scrutinised them carefully."

Rupert Murdoch described his appearance as "the most humble day of my career" and used his appearance to apologise to victims of phone hacking.

The committee’s relationship with News International has often been strained with former News of the World chief executive Neville Thurbuck alleging there were aborted plans to put the committee under surveillance in 2009.

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