§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 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. [84194]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 18 May 1999]: Detailed information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial years 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, "The Government Information and Communication Service (HC 770), in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House. The number in post at 1 May 1999 is 13.
Special Advisers in this Department have ad hoc contact with the media but none are specifically employed in media relations.