§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Minister of Transport how many press and public relations officers are currently employed in his Department; what is the total cost; and what are the comparable figures for June 1970, October 1974 and May 1979.
§ Mr. FowlerThe number of staff currently employed on press work in my Department is six, at a total annual cost of £130,953. The comparable figure for May 1979 was seven, at a cost of £122,273. My Department did not exist in its current form in June 1970 and it formed part of the Department of the Environment in October 1974; figures for these years are not therefore available.