§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000 what was(a) the number of occasions on which couriers were used to distribute news releases from his Department and (b) the total cost of using couriers to distribute news releases. [113980]
§ Ms StuartAs is common practice among many Government Departments, the Central Office of Information News Distribution Service issues press releases on behalf of the Department. Couriers are unlikely to be used purely to distribute press releases. It is however impossible to separate the times when866W couriers were used as the only practical means of sending out sensitive material which may have had news releases attached.
There were 1,656 press releases issued and the cost of this distribution was £75,365, for the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) national, (b) regional and (c) local newspapers and media bodies to which his Department sent news releases during the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000. [113996]
§ Ms StuartThe cost of compiling the lists of national, regional, local newspapers and media bodies is disproportionate. The Department ensures press releases are made available to the press via the news distribution service managed by Central Office of Information; and the Internet.
Targeted distribution will rely on the subject and content of the specific press releases.