The judge who led the phone-hacking inquiry has defended the "valuable contribution" of a junior counsel to the probe after she came under fire for picking up more than £200,000 of tax-payers' money.

Lawyer Carine Patry Hoskins, who grew up in Glasgow, had been criticised by Tory MP Rob Wilson for receiving "one hell of a pay day" of £218,606 in fees over a 16-month period as part of the counsel team to the Leveson Inquiry.

In the latest in a series of exchanges with the MP, Lord Leveson said that while she may have had no input into conclusions or recommendations of his report, he valued her work.

Responding to a letter from Mr Wilson, the judge said he was prepared to go into further detail about the lawyer's work in the inquiry, outlining some of her roles as including researching the law; reviewing statements; helping Robert Jay, QC, who led the interrogation of witnesses; meeting them, and preparing and conducting public examination of some of them.

Lord Leveson wrote: "I have already explained what work she did in and after July 2012; it is misleading to extrapolate from this later work and use it to define her overall contribution.

"Ms Patry Hoskins showed a real commitment to working towards the inquiry's challenging timetable, worked to meet pressing deadlines and, as far as I am concerned, overall, made a valuable contribution to the inquiry.

"The fact that she had no input into the conclusions or recommendations in the report itself is not to minimise that contribution."

He added that the barrister was paid the "appropriate hourly rate, set by the Government, in relation to her work for the inquiry".

The further details emerged as speculation has enveloped Ms Patry Hoskins after it was suggested the Leveson report may have been tainted by an alleged relationship between her and the barrister who represented celebrities at the inquiry.

The Glasgow University and Cambridge graduate became known as the "woman on the left" during the televised hearings, and was junior counsel in the team led by Mr Jay.

Ms Patry Hoskins, who works for the Landmark Chambers, and David Sherborne, who represented Hugh Grant and other phone-hacking victims at the inquiry, reportedly went on holiday together to the Greek island of Santorini in August, days after the public hearings concluded and months before the inquiry ended.

But they are said to maintain their relationship did not begin until after the Leveson report was published in November.

Lord Leveson has flatly denied his report could have been influenced by Ms Patry Hoskins, saying he did not plan to comment again on the saga.

Mr Wilson, MP for Reading East, had previously urged him to investigate.

The judge's latest letter comes after Mr Wilson wrote asking for a full breakdown of her work, after obtaining figures of how much she was paid.

The inquiry into press ethics was ordered by the Prime Minister David Cameron in response to the scandals of public figures having their phones hacked by journalists, which emerged in the summer of 2011 and led to the closure of the News of the World.