§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are assumed in his Department's budget, employed (i) full time and (ii) part time,(a) to work on the press and media and (b) to provide information and publicity in 1996–97. [39365]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordAs at 1 July, there are 30 information officers—including one part time—employed by the Department of the Environment. All deal with a full range of information services including publicity, press and media handling.
§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff were employed full time or part time(a) to provide information and publicity and (b) on press and media in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1994–95 and (iii) 1993–94. [39417]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe numbers of staff employed as Information Officers by the Department of the Environment as at 31 March for each of the years in question were:
- 1995–96: 32 (including 1 part time and 1 employed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution).
- 1994–95: 3 (including 1 employed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution).
- 1993–94: 30.
These staff dealt with a full range of information services including publicity, press and media handling.
§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost budgeted for staff, employed full time or part time, to provide information and publicity in 1996–97. [39442]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordFor 1996–97, the salary budget for staff employed as information officers is £1,039,145.00. This figure relates to 32.5 complemented posts for the year. However, as at 1 July the actual staff in post was 30—which includes one part time.
§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of staff employed full time or part time (i) to provide information and publicity and (ii) to work on the press and media in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1993–94. [39433]
313W
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe outturn salary costs for staff employed as information officers by the Department of the Environment for the years in question were:
- 1995–96: £976,477.00
- 1994–95: £890,056.00
- 1993–94: £902,002.00.
§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's budget in 1996–97 for consultants to assist with information, publicity, press and media. [39351]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe Department does not employ consultants to assist with information, publicity, press and media handling. This work is carried out by in-house information staff.
Pre- and post-campaign research is carried out by external consultants in order to ensure value for money in our publicity campaigns. This research is funded as an integral part of a campaign and is not the subject of a separate budget.
As a supplementary exercise, however a consultancy budget of £20,000 has been set aside in 1996–97 so that the various publicity and market research techniques available can be evaluated.