HC Deb 22 November 2001 vol 375 c457W
Annabelle Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed (i) full-time, (ii) part-time and (iii) on a contract basis by her Department in each year since 1992. [6909]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

For the number of special advisers employed, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 21 November 2001,Official Report, column 340W.

For the number of press officers employed, we are unable to provide information dating back to 1992 without incurring disproportionate costs but information from 1996–97 to 1998–99 is available from appendix 10 of the Sixth Report from the Select Committee on Public Administration entitled the Government Information and Communication Service, published on 29 July 1998. www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmpubadm/770/77002. htm. Information for 1999–2000 to 2001–02 for full-time and part-time press officers is in the table.

Grade 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
AIO1 2 3 2
IO1 11 6 10
SIO1 9 13 9
S102 1 1 I
G71 3 3 4
G72 — 1 1
SCSI-91 2 2 2
Contract staff 0 0 0
Total 28 29 329
1 Full-time
2 Part-time
3 The staffing figures for 2001–02 include the transfer of G7x1, SIOx 1 and 10x3 to the Department for Work and Pensions as part of the machinery of government changes following the general election.