§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of maintaining a public relations service within his Department in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe cost of maintaining the defence public relations service in 1986–87 was £7.3 million. This figure includes staff costs together with expenditure on films, publications, equipment, etc. With regard to costs for the years 1979–80 to 1985–86 I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 19 November 1986 at col.226.