§ 68. Sir W. Smithersasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many persons are employed at the latest available date in public relations work of Ministries; and if he will give the amount of their salaries in convenient categories; and what is the total annual cost.
§ Mr. JayAs the answer is rather detailed, I will with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir W. SmithersIs not this public relations service of the Government purely a part of their propaganda machinery and a pure waste of money?
§ Mr. JayIf the hon. Gentleman thinks that any modern organisation can carry on without a public relations staff, he is very out of date.
§ Mr. SnowWould my hon. Friend add to that list the names of the trade associations which maintain public relations officers and will not these trade associations be very angry with their friends the Tories, who have been just a bit too clever?
§ Following is the answer:
§ The latest figures at present available are those of the provision in Estimates for 1950–51. These figures, which exclude the Central Office of Information, were as follows:
| Staff Numbers | |
| Home Departments | 834 |
| Overseas Departments | 2,368 |
| Total | 3,202 |
| Salaries and Expenses | |
| £ | |
| Home Departments | 518,150 |
| Overseas Departments | 1,556,850 |
| Total | 2,075,000 |
§ The details of the cost of these staffs are to be found in Cmd. 7949. Similar details relating to 1951–52 are due to be presented shortly in a White Paper.