HC Deb 28 March 1995 vol 257 cc569-70W
Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of producing and circulating the last Departmental annual report; what was the circulation list; how many copies were produced; how many copies were sold and at what price. [16653]

Mr. Forth

The Department's annual report published on 7 March 1995 cost £22,500 to prepare for printing.

It was published by HMSO and sold through their bookshops at £11.65 per copy. Printing costs were borne by HMSO, who look to recover these and other administrative costs from sales. The print run was £2,900 and 2345 copies have been sold up to 24 March.

The Department obtained copies to distribute to its own staff at middle management level and above, to institutions of further and higher education and local education authorities and to various educational organisations. The cost of buying copies from HMSO and circulating these was some £10,000.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of producing and circulating the departmental annual report for each of the last 10 years in real terms.[16654]

Mr. Forth

Departmental reports were published for the first time in 1991. The five reports have been published as Command Papers by HMSO.

The costs to the Department of preparing the reports for printing are as given. Printing costs were borne by HMSO, which looks to recover these and administrative costs from sales revenue.

Financial year Cash terms £ At 1993–94 prices £
1990–91 4,900 5,581
1991–92 4,800 5,144
1992–93 5,200 5,359
1993–94 15,200 15,200
1994–95 22,500 22,059

Costs of buying in and circulating copies of the report were £10,000 in 1994–95. Costs are not held separately for the four previous years.