HC Deb 04 March 1996 vol 273 cc10-2W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the total expenditure of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on publicity for each of the years(a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95 and (f) 1995–96 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996–97; and if he will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (1) advertising and (2) press and public relations. [11396]

Sir Paul Beresford

[holding answer 25 January 1996]: Paid publicity expenditure by my Department—excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies—is as follows:

  1. (a) 1979–80: [figures not available]
  2. (b) 1989–90: £31,500,000
  3. (c) 1991–92: £3,387,000
  4. (d) 1993–94: £12,108,000
  5. (e) 1994–95: £8,878,000
  6. (f) 1995–95:
  7. (i) To date: £4,902,700
out of planned total expenditure for the year of £6,835,900.

Of this, expenditure on television, radio and newspaper advertising was as follows:

  • 1989–90: £19,810,000
  • 1991–92: £680,870
  • 1993–94: 5,149,000
  • 1994–95: £4,470,000
  • 1995–96:
  • Expenditure to date £2,800,000

The figure for 1989–90 incudes publicity costs associated with water privatisation. Figures for 1996—–97 are not yet available.

Press relations are handled by members of the Government information service whose salaries are paid as part of the Department's annual running costs. Paid publicity is the most cost-effective way to raise public awareness and understanding of the Department's policies.

Publicity expenditure by the Department's agencies is the responsibility of the respective chief executives. I have ask them to reply to the hon. Member direct as soon as possible. Expenditure by non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.

Letter from R. D. Budden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 February 1996.

Sir Paul Beresford at The Department of the Environment asked Professor Rhind, the Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, to let you have the information you requested about expenditure on advertising and press and public relations. Professor Rhind is currently away from the office on business and I am responding on his behalf.

I regret that the figures for 1979–80 are not available but the remainder of the information is contained in the table below.

£ thousand
Advertising Press and public relations
1989–90 321.0 825.5
1991–92 420.0 828.3
1993–94 189.0 890.4
1994–95 478.0 940.3
1995–961 2 458.7 858.4
674.8 1,030.0
1996–97 (budget) 748.0 1,085.5
1 To January 1996.
2 Budget for year.

The trend indicated by the table is reliable. However, in absolute terms, the figures are not always comparable, one year with another, owing to the constantly changing mix of activities which have been allocated to these accounting sub-heads, in turn reflecting the dynamic nature of the organisation.

I hope this information satisfies your requirement.

Letter from M.C. Buck to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 29 February 1996:

The following is the information you require in relation to the QE2 Conference Centre:

Year Advertising Press and Public Relations Total
(A) 1979–80 (Centre not in operation until 1986) Nil
(B) 1989–90 (figures not available) —
(C) 1991–92 £50,000 £52,000 £102,000
(D) 1993–94 £65,000 £33,000 £98,000
(E) 1994–95 £61,000 £35,000 £96,000
(F) 1995–96 £36,000 £39,000 £75,000

I should be grateful if you would confirm receipt.

Letter from Roger Courtney to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 28 February 1996:

The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply on behalf of the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to your recent Parliamentary Question about expenditure on publicity.

The primary purpose of BRE's publicity expenditure is to promote the results from publicity funded research, to help secure maximum application. Thus our publicity expenditures include paying for articles to be drafted for publication in the trade press, participation in exhibitions, organisation of press events and publishing News of Construction Research. Expenditure in the years requested has been:

  1. (a) 1979–80: [figures not available]
  2. (b) 1989–90: [figures not available]
  3. (c) 1991–92: [figures not available]
  4. (d) 1993–4:£182.6k
  5. (e) 1994–95: £181.8k
  6. (f) 1995–96:
    1. (i) to date £185.4k
    2. (ii) estimated for whole year £202.0k
  7. (g) 1996–97: Budgets not yet set but likely to be similar to previous years

No detailed breakdown between "advertising" and "press and public relations" is available but BRE does not promote its work through press advertising and therefore any advertising expenditure would be very small.

These figures exclude recruitment advertising and publicity funded directly by the former Energy Efficiency Office in connection with their Best Practice Programme.

Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 12 February 1996:

Further to the answer given by Sir Paul Beresford on 6 February 1996 in response to your Parliamentary Question about publicity costs, I am writing with details of the Agency's expenditure on the this front.

The only costs incurred by the Planning inspectorate over the relevant period were £4,757 in 1995–96. These costs were incurred in connection with the launch of the Planning Inspectorate Journal No other publicity costs were incurred in any of the other periods mentioned, and none are planned for 1996–97.