§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spends on biking press releases to(a) hon. Members and (b) other individuals or groups, each time his Department issues a press release; how many such press releases were issued by his Department (i) in the period 1 May to 1 July and (ii) in the period 1 January to 1 March; and if he will review his Department's use of couriers to deliver press releases and investigate the possibility of using fax or e-mail. [8816]
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeMy Department does not bike press releases either to hon. Members or other recipients each time it issues a press release.
None of the 61 press releases issued in the period 1 May to 1 July or of the 59 issued in the period 1 January to 1 March were distributed by bike or courier. My Department uses fax, the Internet and the Central Office of Information's News Distribution Service which, inter alia, supplies my Department's Press Releases to the Parliamentary Online Information Service (POLIS), which is available on line to all hon. Members.