NHS (Public Relations Officers)

HC Deb 23 January 1996 vol 270 cc192-3W

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many public relations officers are employed by the NHS management executive in Scotland; and what was the annual expenditure by the NHS management executive for each financial year since 1987 on(a) public relations, (b) communications and (c) marketing. [11164]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

There are no public relations officers employed by or in the NHS management executive in Scotland. A team of three whole-time equivalent information officers in the Scottish Office's information directorate reporting to a chief press officer provide advice and support to Ministers, the management executive and the remainder of the Scottish Office Department of Health on issues relating to health and to the national health service. There is no identifiable expenditure by the NHSME since 1987 which is readily attributable to(a) public relations, (b) communications and (c) marketing.