HC Deb 23 July 2002 vol 389 c1014W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many(a) full-time equivalents were employed by his press office and (b) secondees were placed in his press office in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [70544]

Mr. Leslie

Detailed information on the numbers of permanent press officers employed in departmental press offices during the financial years 1997–98 were provided in a memorandum dated 16 June 1998 to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on The Government Information and Communication Service (HC 770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House.

The number of full-time equivalent press officers employed in the relevant departmental press office on 1 January for subsequent years were:

Full-time equivalents
Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (Central)
1999 34.3
2000 40.8
2001 38.0
Cabinet Office
2002 18.0

Secondees to the press office during the full calendar years for which information is available were:

Number of secondees
1999 Nil
2000 1
2001 1