HC Deb 03 May 1988 vol 132 cc397-8W
Mr. Blair

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff have been employed in the Central Office of Information for the years 1978–79 to 1987–88.

Mr. Lilley

The information requested is as follows:

1 January Permanent staff in-post (including part-timers)
1979 1,163
1980 1,177
1981 1,158
1982 1,071
1983 969
1984 961
1985 925
1986 878
1987 815
1988 804

Mr. Blair

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the rules on Government advertising under which the Central Office of Information operates.

Mr. Lilley

The conventions on central Government publicity and advertising are set out in the Government's evidence submitted to the Widdicombe inquiry in 1985 and deposited in the Library of the House (published as annex D to "Local Authority Publicity: interim report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Conduct of Local Authority Business chaired by Mr. David Widdicombe QC").

Mr. Blair

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the budget for the Central Office of Information for each of the years 1978–79 to 1987–88; and how much of that budget was expended on advertising and how much on other Central Office of Information activities.

Mr. Peter Lilley

[holding answer 28 April 1988]: The information is as follows:

Year Total expenditure £ Advertising expenditure £ Other expenditure £
1978–79 35,400,000 18,800,000 16,600,000
1979–80 40,700,000 20,600,000 20,100,000
1980–81 45,100,000 20,000,000 25,100,000
1981–82 46,100,000 18,500,000 27,600,000
1982–83 48,300,000 18,800,000 29,500,000
1983–84 60,300,000 21,300,000 39,000,000
1984–85 64,700,000 21,900,000 42,800,000
1985–86 66,900,000 25,100,000 41,800,000
1986–87 149,800,000 98,500,000 51,300,000
1987–881 150,400,000 88,000,000 62,400,000
1 Figures given are an estimate.