§ Mr. Freudasked the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report the number, and the average cost, of information officers employed by her Department at the beginning of each of the last four years.
§ The Prime MinisterThe number and total cost of information officer group 655W staff in my office, the Civil Service Department and the Central Statistical Office on these dates were as follows:
Number Cost £ Prime Minister's Office 1 January 1976 7 59,000 1 January 1977 7 58,000 1 January 1978 7 62,000 1 January 1979 7 67,000 1 January 1980 5 65,000 Civil Service Department 1 January 1976 14 90,000 1 January 1977 14 96,000 1 January 1978 11 78,000 1 January 1979 9 69,000 1 January 1980 9 95,000 Central Statistical Office 1 January 1976 2 17,000 1 January 1977 2 18,000 1 January 1978 3 25,000 1 January 1979 3 27,000 1 January 1980 3 37,000 In the Civil Service Department, the information officer group, in addition to press officers, includes information specialists engaged on publications, and recruitment advertising and publicity. Information staff in the Central Statistical Office are engaged on press liaison, paid publicity and publications.