Publicity (Hansard, 5 November 1991)

§ Mr. Dobson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has sent unsolicited direct mail as part of the distribution of publicity material.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
No.

§ Mr. Dobson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide an up-to-date list of each television advertising campaign carried out, or to be carried out, by his Department during 1991–92, and of each other publicity campaign costing more than £100,000, giving for each(a) the topic, (b) the commencement date, (c) the duration and (d) the advertising, promotional and public relations companies involved.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Member on 1 July at column24 and 11 July at columns 421–22.

§ Mr. Dobson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give separate figures for the spending by his Department on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1991–92 and budgets for 1992–93.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
Total expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on advertising and other promotional material for the years 1979–80 to 1990–91, latest estimates for 1991–92 and budget provisions for 1992–93 are:

FCO Diplomatic wing FCO ODA wing

£ £

1979–80 100,266 214,739

1980–81 116,532 145,697

1981–82 162,998 207,964

1982–83 229,711 135,506

1983–84 205,247 252,691

1984–85 149,932 234,050

1985–86 160,535 271,084

1986–87 335,754 228,347

1987–88 195,000 351,000

1988–89 289,184 689,631

1989–90 395,842 1,066,447

1990–91 926,610 902,000

1991–92 638,000 1,031,000

1992–93 1,063,000 1,057,000

These figures cannot be disaggregated to identify the medium used without incurring disproportionate cost.

§ Mr. Dobson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1991–92 and budget for 1992–93.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
The information is as follows: 29W

Total expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on press and public relations from 1983–84 to 1990–91, latest estimates for 1991–92 and budget provisions for 1992–93 are (£ million)

1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93

Payments to Central Office of Information for overseas information material and related activities 17.4 18.8 18.3 18.7 19.2 18.3 18.1 15.7 12.3 12.0

Other information services 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.9 0.9 3.3 5.8 4.8 4.9

Running costs of Diplomatic Wing Information/News Department 1.8 1.4 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.4 3.6 4.1 4.3

Running costs of ODA Wing Information Department 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

Costs of information staff at overseas posts 12.4 12.8 13.6 14.6 17.6 17.5 18.8 23.2 24.8 25.9

Total 32.8 34.1 35.0 36.1 39.9 38.8 43.0 48.7 46.4 47.5

Figures for the period before 1983–84 are not available on a comparable basis.

	FCO Diplomatic wing	FCO ODA wing
	£	£
1979–80	100,266	214,739
1980–81	116,532	145,697
1981–82	162,998	207,964
1982–83	229,711	135,506
1983–84	205,247	252,691
1984–85	149,932	234,050
1985–86	160,535	271,084
1986–87	335,754	228,347
1987–88	195,000	351,000
1988–89	289,184	689,631
1989–90	395,842	1,066,447
1990–91	926,610	902,000
1991–92	638,000	1,031,000
1992–93	1,063,000	1,057,000

Total expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on press and public relations from 1983–84 to 1990–91, latest estimates for 1991–92 and budget provisions for 1992–93 are (£ million)
	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93
Payments to Central Office of Information for overseas information material and related activities	17.4	18.8	18.3	18.7	19.2	18.3	18.1	15.7	12.3	12.0
Other information services	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.7	0.9	0.9	3.3	5.8	4.8	4.9
Running costs of Diplomatic Wing Information/News Department	1.8	1.4	1.9	1.9	2.0	1.8	2.4	3.6	4.1	4.3
Running costs of ODA Wing Information Department	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4
Costs of information staff at overseas posts	12.4	12.8	13.6	14.6	17.6	17.5	18.8	23.2	24.8	25.9
Total	32.8	34.1	35.0	36.1	39.9	38.8	43.0	48.7	46.4	47.5