Murdochs dodge British Parliament request to appear in phone hacking case

News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch and his son James have denied an initial request from the British Parliament to appear before a select committee and answer questions in the phone-hacking case that has rocked England and sent the media into a frenzy.

Embattled News International chief Rebekah Brooks agreed to appear before the committee next Tuesday. But the Murdochs--who said last week they would cooperate with the inquiry--declined the request, offering to appear on an alternate date instead. Parliament cannot compel them, as U.S. citizens, to appear.

"The committee has made clear its view that all three should appear to account for the behavior of News International and for previous statements made to the committee in Parliament, now acknowledged to be false," several members of Parliament said in a statement.

George Young, leader of the British House of Commons, told lawmakers that if the Murdochs failed to appear, they could be declared "in contempt of Parliament." But it's not clear what that would mean, legally speaking--and Young acknowledged he did not know what options the lawmakers have in this case.

James Murdoch said the earliest he would be able to appear would be August 10; Rupert did not offer a specific date, but said he was "fully prepared" to appear--eventually.

Meanwhile, Brooks--editor of News of the World at the time of the alleged phone hacking--continues to dodge professional and legal bullets. Rupert Murdoch continues to show public support for his protégée, despite calls from inside and outside of the company for her dismissal.

Meanwhile, a second former editor of the now-shuttered paper, Neil Wallis, was arrested on Thursday, according to the BBC. Wallis--the ninth person to be arrested in connection with the phone-hacking case since January--was "taken for questioning at a police station in west London on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications."

In a related development, Scotland Yard admitted on Thursday that it had employed Wallis between 2009 and 2010 as a paid "consultant." He was a staffer at News of the World between 2003 and 2009, serving the last three years as executive editor.

Andy Coulson, editor of News of the World after Brooks, was arrested last week.

UPDATE: The Murdochs now say they will appear alongside Brooks next week.