§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84190]
§ Ms JowellDetailed information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial year 1997–98 and 1998–99 was provided in a memorandum dated 16 June 1998 to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on 'The Government Information and Communications Service' (HC 770) in July 1998, copies of which are available in the Library. The number in post at 1 May 1999 was 14.2
Special advisers in this Department have ad hoc contact with the media but none is specifically employed in media relations.