HC Deb 25 March 1970 vol 798 cc1418-9
23. Mr. Ridley

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many public relations officers are now employed in his Department; and how many were employed on 31st March, 1964.

Mr. Mason

There is no separate grade or class of public relations officer, the duties being included in those of the information officer class. There are at present 40 of this class employed in the Board's Information Division. On 31st March, 1964, there were 26.

Mr. Ridley

Can the President explain why it has been necessary to double the selling when he is doing half the business?

Mr. Mason

The hon. Gentleman should do his arithmetic a little better than that. My hon. Friend has reminded him of his rather peevish, niggling, anti-Government and particularly anti-Beard of Trade manner. He should have bothered to have seen the extent to which it was necessary to increase the information officer class. In 1964 the Board of Trade became the E.F.T.A. centre for Whitehall and since then we have taken over the whole of the shipping division, all marine affairs and the vast field of civil aviation, and we have increased activities in export promotion. Those are the reasons for the increase in the number of officers.

Mr. Heffer

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there can be no valid criticism of the increase in numbers? Especially as it would appear that the Opposition spend the whole of their time in denigrating the good work that the Department is doing, is it not important that the public should know the truth about the fine work that the Department is getting on with?

Mr. Mason

I am obliged to my hon. Friend for that remark. I always feel that we are extremely reticent and modest in what we are doing.