§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press releases her Department has issued since 9 April.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Department has issued 301 press releases since 9 April.
§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press and public relations officers currently work for her Department; and what information she has on the number working for(a) regional health authorities, (b) district health authorities and (c) national health service trusts.
§ Mr. SackvilleFunctions which are commonly associated with press and public relations are carried out by the Departments information division; 39 staff are currently employed as information officers.
The number of press and public relations officers working in the national health service is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the list of(a) journalists, (b) departmental officials, (c) NHS personnel and (d) other people who regularly receive copies of her Departments press releases.
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§ Mr. SackvilleNo.
The Department regularly issues press releases through the Central Office of Information to enable journalists to report on departmental and ministerial announcements. Distributions are also made to all national health service general managers and a limited number of non-journalists and organisations.
The names of recipients vary depending on the subject.