§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is her estimate of the expenditure of her Department on newspapers and magazines in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, (c) 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if she will list the newspapers and magazines purchased or subscribed to on a regular basis. [26596]
§ Mrs. Beckett[holding answer 5 February 1998]: Excluding its agencies, the Department's expenditure on newspapers and mass circulation journals for the years requested was as follows:
- 1995–96: £204,024
- 1996–97: £208,027
- 1997–98: £161,902 to date
- 1997–98: £194,283 estimate of full year
This includes expenditure on national daily and Sunday newspapers, regional newspapers, and mass circulation magazines and journals. A full list of titles cannot be supplied except at disproportionate cost. The titles taken change to meet the changing requirements of the Department. Changes in procurement procedures mean these figures are not directly comparable with those last provided to the hon. Member in January 1996.
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