§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many special advisers worked in his Department from 1997 to date; [160032]
(2) what the total cost was of employing special advisers in his Department from 1997 to date. [160049]
§ Ms Beverley Hughes[holding answer 1 May 2001]: Since 3 May 1997 this Department has generally employed three full-time and two part-time special advisers at any one time, except for a period of nine months in 1997 and 1998 when there were four full-time and two part-time special advisers. In 1997 under the 380W previous Administration there were three full-time and two part-time special advisers in the Departments of the Environment and Transport.
The total cost of employing special advisers in the four financial years 1997–98 to 2000–2001 was £642,000.