HC Deb 03 April 2002 vol 382 cc1051-2W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual budget for communications activities, including press, public relations, marketing and internal communications, was for his Department for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2001–02. [39916]

Ms Blears

Expenditure on Communications activities comes under two headings as shown in the table below:

£000
Year Running costs Programme
1997–98 4,661 14,954
1998–99 4,806 21,810
1999–20001 6,814 28,995
2000–012 7,969 45,746
2001–023 8,582 49,737
1 The Department's Press and Publicity Division and NHS Communication Unit amalgamated on 1 April 1999.
2 The Department took on direct control for a number of public Health Campaigns with the closure of the Health Education Authority on 3 March 2000.
3 2001–02 figures are latest estimates.