§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Trade how many information officers are currently employed by his Department; at what cost; and if he will give these figures in respect of each of the last four years.
§ Mr. EyreThe number of information officers employed by my Department and the total cost of salary plus employer's national insurance contribution are as follows:
Number of staff Total cost (£'000) 1 January 1977 124 744 1 January 1978 118 767 1 January 1979 120 856 1 January 1980 121 1,076 1 October 1981 111 1,274 The figures for 1 January 1977, 1978 and 1979 include the staff in the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection which has since been absorbed in the Department of Trade.
The information officer group, in addition to press and public relations officers, includes information specialists in exhibitions, exhibition design and paid publicity.