9322 (2026). Camilla Belich to the Minister of Education

9322 (2026). Camilla Belich to the Minister of Education: What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Hon Erica Stanford: I am advised that the Ministry of Education has reported the following external legal fees and litigation costs in its annual reports: • 2022/23: $4.144 million • 2023/24: $4.973 million • 2024/25: $3.795 million. I am advised that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority incurred the following external legal costs since 2020/21: • 2020/21: $138,394 • 2021/22: $81,187 • 2022/23: $47,988 • 2023/24: $75,454 • 2024/25: $169,212 • 2025/26 (year-to-date February 2026): $26,325. I am advised that Education New Zealand incurred the following external legal costs since 2020/21: • 2020/21: $7,064 • 2021/22: $14,767 • 2022/23: $160,438 • 2023/24: $417,999 • 2024/25: $209,787 • 2025/26 (year-to-date February 2026): $14,718. I am advised that the Education Review Office incurred the following external legal costs since 2020/21 (to the nearest thousand): • 2020/21: $38,000 • 2021/22: $20,000 • 2022/23: $63,000 • 2023/24: $81,000 • 2024/25: $42,000 • 2025/26 (year-to-date February 2026): $30,000. A breakdown by the nature of the legal work is not readily reportable in the timeframe available to respond to written parliamentary questions.