§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science in which newspapers and magazines the parents charter has been advertised; on what dates; and at what total cost.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe planned advertising schedule to 13 October was as follows:
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Daily Express 28 September, 3, 7, 12 October Daily Mail 28 September, 4, 7, 12 October Daily Mirror 30 September, 3, 7, October Daily Star 28 September, 1, 8, 9 October The Daily Telegraph 30 September, 2, 5 October Evening Standard 27 September The Guardian 28 September, 3, 8 October The Independent 30 September, 5, 12 October The Independent on Sunday 29 September, 6 October The Mail on Sunday 6 October News of the World 29 September, 13 October Observer 13 October Sunday People 29 September
The Sun 28, 30 September, 9 October Sunday Express 29 September Sunday Mirror 29 September The Sunday Telegraph 6, 13 October The Times 28, 30 September Today 28 September, 1, 5, 12 October TV Quick 7 October The cost of the necessary advertising space was just under £280,000, excluding VAT.
§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) for what purpose the telephone bureau service which is dealing with requests for copies of the parents charter asks for evening telephone numbers of callers;
(2) what is the cost of the telephone bureau service to which readers of advertisements concerning the parents charter are directed.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is standard procedure to ask callers for the contact telephone number in case there are queries about their order; a small sample of the numbers may also be used to check on the effectiveness of distribution arrangements and on the use made of the charter. Callers are not pressed to give numbers if they do not wish to do so.
The cost of setting up the service and handling all calls up to noon on 15 October was £34,000, exclusive of VAT. This includes the cost of the 0800 number which enables respondents to make calls free of charge.