§ Mr. Pikeasked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's promotional and advertising budget is spent on regional and local newspapers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanExpenditure on advertising and promotional material in all media by the Ministry of Defence, and the Central Office of Information on our behalf, amounted to some £10.5 million in 1986–87, predominantly for service and civilian recruitment purposes. Advertising and promotional work is placed with the appropriate medium in the light of the content and objectives addressed. About £8 million was spent with newspapers. A breakdown between the national and local press is not readily available in all cases but where these items are separately recorded it is possible to identify some £0.6 million spent with regional and local newspapers.