§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is her estimate of the total expenditure on all forms of publicity and advertising by(a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for (i) 1993–94, (ii) 1994–95, (iii) 1995–96, (iv) 1996–97, (v) the 1997–98 year to date, (vi) the 1997–98 full year estimate and (vii) the 1998–99 planned expenditure. [15213]
§ Mrs. Beckett[holding answer 11 November 1997]: Total Departmental expenditure on publicity is not held centrally and could be produced only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure on publicity, including advertising, from centrally-managed budgets is as follows:
£000 1993–94 8,468 1994–95 8,112 1995–96 9,211 1996–97 9,216 April-October 1997 2,348 Planned spend for 1997–98 and 1998–99 is not available.
Chief Executives of the Department's Executive Agencies have been asked to respond direct.
414WLetter from Seton Bennett to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 24 November 1997:
The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML), a net running cost Agency, to your question about expenditure on publicity and advertising.The figures for NWML are as follows:
Year £000 1993–94 n/a 1994–95 9 1995–96 16 1996–97 28 1997–98 year to date 12 1997–98 full year estimate 25 1998–99 planned 25 n/a = not available. Letter from John Holden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 24 November 1997:
I have been asked to respond to your question to the President of the Board of Trade regarding expenditure on all forms of publicity and advertising. The total for all forms for Companies House (shown in £000s) are:
£000 1993–94 378 1994–95 448 1995–96 364 1996–97 289 1997–98 (to date) 49 1997–98 (estimated) 444 1998–99 (plan) 444 Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 24 November 1997:
I am replying for the Patent Office to your Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade about expenditure on publicity and advertising.The figures in £'000 are as follows:
£000 Marketing Recruitment advertising 1993–94 1,545 0 1994–95 887 7 1995–96 557 17 1996–97 546 48 1997–98 (end of October) 330 40 1997–98 (forecast) 650 60 1998–99 (forecast) 617 62 Letter from Ian Jones to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 24 November 1997:
415WYou tabled a Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade, for named day reply on 11 November, about expenditure by her Department, its agencies and non departmental bodies on all forms of advertising and publicity. I have been asked to reply in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service.The Employment Tribunals Service was established as an executive agency on 1 April 1997. The Agency spent to 31 October 1997 £97,000 on publicity and advertising. We expect to spend £146,000 in the current financial year. This mainly covers the cost of explanatory leaflets for the public and, where appropriate, advertisements to locate parties who we are otherwise unable to trace. Plans for 1998/9 have not yet been finalised.Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 24 November 1997:
The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about The Insolvency Service's expenditure on publicity and advertising for 1993–94 to 1996–97, 1997–98 to date and full year estimates, and 1998–99 planned expenditure.The Insolvency Service has a statutory obligation to advertise each compulsory corporate and personal insolvency in the London Gazette and one other newspaper. The costs are charged to the estate of the insolvent company/individual, and not directly to the Department.Recruitment advertising is undertaken from time to time at both national and local level. Expenditure was devolved to the Agency from 1993–94, and the amounts expended have been:
£ 1993–94 14,900 1994–95 4,595 1995–96 4,060 1996–97 40,960 1997–98 to date 6,170 1997–98 full year estimate 20,000 It is not possible to provide an estimate of planned expenditure for 1998–99 at this stage as financial and manpower settlements have not yet been agreed.In addition The Service incurred some £12,00 advertising costs during 1995–96 as part of the contracting out study taking place at that time.The Service also publishes a range of guidance material designed to provide its users and the public with information about various aspects of insolvency as well as its Annual Report and Accounts each year. Expenditure on these publications totalled:
£ 1993–94 n/a 1994–95 29,670 1995–96 24,465 1996–97 50,210 1997–98 to date 21,140 1997–98 full year estimate 47,000 n/a = not available. Again, it is not possible to provide an estimate of planned expenditure for 1998–99 at this stage as financial and manpower settlements have not yet been agreed.Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 24 November 1997:
The President of the Board of Trade, Mrs Margaret Beckett MP, has asked me to reply, on behalf of The Radiocommunications Agency, to your question concerning details in respect of expenditure on publicity activities undertaken from financial year 1993–94, including proposed expenditure for financial years 1997–98 and 1998–99.The details are as follows:
Financial year Spend £ 1993–94 188,706 1994–95 211,634 1995–96 369,732 1996–97 304,049 1997–98 to date 366,000 1997–98 estimate 420,000 1998–99 budget 450,000 I hope that this is helpful.416W