§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many(a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84191]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 18 May 1999]: Detailed information on the number of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial years 1997–98 and 1998–99 was provided in a memorandum to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on The Government Information and Communication Service (HC770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House. The numbers in post at 1 May 1999 are 7.
Special Advisers in this Department advise Treasury Ministers on the full range of policy issues.