HC Deb 18 October 2001 vol 372 cc1312-3W
Pete Wishart

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed (i) full time, (ii) part time and (iii) on a contract basis by his Department in each year since 1992. [6889]

Dr. Whitehead

The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions was formed on 8 June 2001. On that date, the following press officers were employed by the Department1 Assistant Press Officer; 16 Press Officers, one of whom was employed on a casual contract basis; 9 Senior Press Officers, of whom one worked part-time; three Grade 7 Press Officers; and one Grade 6 Press Officer.

There were no special advisers employed by the Department on 8 June 2001. However, a total of three were appointed between 11 June and 13 August 2001, one on a part-time basis.