§ Mr. GrocottTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list(a) the number of staff and (b) the total cost, of the press and publicity section of his Department for each year since July 1988.
§ Miss WiddecombeFor the numbers of staff, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 9 May 1991 at col.579;
For the available information on total costs up to 1989–90, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 17 June 1991 at cols. 49–50.
The total staff and running costs in 1990–91 were £1,218,560. This includes staff and resource costs for activities undertaken by the information division as a whole. Separate figures for staff and running costs for the press and publicity sections are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.