§ Pete WishartTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much expenditure her Department has incurred between 1997 and 1999 on employing external consultants to deal with the press or public relations of her Department. [59482]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight on 17 April 2002,Official Report, column 963W and 964W.
There was no expenditure on press consultants.
PR consultants have been employed to organise support for Departmental campaigns such as Millennium Volunteers, the "Get On" adult basic skills campaign, the Aim higher campaign to widen participation in higher education and the Dads & Sons campaign to encourage fathers to get more involved in the education of their 11–14 year old sons.
662W These PR companies do not duplicate the conventional press handling for the Department which is carried out internally.