HC Deb 27 February 2002 vol 380 cc1363-4W
Mr. Collins

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list (1) the campaigns managed by the Central Office of Information in the last 12 months; and what the(a) costs and (b) advertising agencies that received contracts for each campaign were; [37962]

(2) the marketing campaigns undertaken in the last 12 months by the Central Office of Information, broken down by the Government Departments that were responsible for initiating the campaigns. [37961]

Mr. Leslie

I have placed copies of the lists in the Library of the House.

Mr. Collins

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the publicity campaigns undertaken by the Central Office of Information in each year since 1997, broken down by whether they were carried out through(a) television adverts, (b) newspaper adverts, (c) internet advertising, (d) private polling and (e) focus groups. [37957]

Mr. Leslie

The information is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Collins

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what criteria advertising contracts are awarded to external agencies through the Central Office of Information; and what changes to the criteria are planned. [37958]

Mr. Leslie

Contracts are awarded following a competition between suitable companies. Companies are selected following a rigorous analysis of past performance and the independent Advisory Committee on Advertising also provides guidance on the selection of suitable agencies.

No changes to the criteria are planned following the changes in responsibilities.

Mr. Collins

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research is undertaken by the Central Office of Information to monitor the effectiveness of Government marketing communications; and what the findings were for the advertising campaigns carried out on behalf of the Government in the last 12 months. [37960]

Mr. Leslie

A wide range of research techniques are used to monitor effectiveness.

All research through COI is commissioned through independent research specialists.

Findings on advertising campaigns can be released only by the commissioning department and not by COI.

Mr. Collins

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the funding of the Central Office of Information was in each year since 1997. [37963]

Mr. Leslie

Central Office of Information (COI) is funded in two ways. The great majority of its expenditure is recovered as a trading fund by recharging costs incurred to its clients who are all publicly funded bodies. A small element of funding is also received as central vote funding under class xvii vote 4.

Both amounts can be seen in the annual report and accounts published by COI and laid before Parliament each year. The vote funding is shown in an extract of the appropriation account and the funding from charges is represented by the income shown in the income and expenditure account.

Mr. Collins

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what basis it was decided that the Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information should report directly to the Prime Minister's Director of Communications; and whether the Central Office of Information will continue to report to Cabinet Office Ministers. [37965]

Mr. Leslie

The new role of the Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI) as the Government's chief adviser on marketing communications and information campaigns was, as I reported to the House on 5 February 2002,Official Report column 862W, a recommendation from a quinquennial review of the COI which was carried out by the Cabinet Office. The Chief Executive remains fully accountable to Cabinet Office Ministers for the work of the Central Office of Information, and they are accountable to Parliament. Individual Departments remain responsible for individual campaigns.