HC Deb 14 January 2004 vol 416 cc764-5W
Norman Baker

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 6 January 2004,Official Report, column 221W, on Government Information and Communication Service, if he will break down the total sum quoted by budget head; and what the figures were for each year from 1996. [147398]

Mr. Alexander

Financial allocations to the GICS centre in 2003–04 consist of:

£000
Head of Profession (including secretariat) 262
Development centre (recruitment and career & professional development for members) 808
Operations Unit (cross-cutting emergency communications) 1,388
Total 2,458

Allocations to the GICS and its predecessors (the Information Officer Management Unit and the Government Information Service) were:

Total (£000)
1996–97 607
1997–98 575
1998–99 680
1999–2000 815
2000–01 962
2001–02 1,888
2002–03 4,079
2003–04 2,458

The role and responsibilities of the GICS in the Cabinet Office have evolved and developed since 1996.

The GICS covered Emergency Communications Coordination from 2001–02 and HM Queen's Jubilee Media facilities in 2002–03.

The GICS also funded a full-time Head of Profession from 1998 to December 2003.

The Media Monitoring Unit also became part of GICS centre finances in April 1999 and the Government News Network in April 2002. Both charge other Government Departments for their services and so require no budget allocation.