§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84196]
§ Mr. TimmsDetailed information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial years 1997–98 and 1998–99 was provided in a memorandum dated 16 June 1998 to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on The Government Information and Communication Service (HC 770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House. The full-time equivalent of the staff in post in the Department of Social Security as of 1 May 1999 was 60.1.
Special Advisers in this Department have ad hoc contact with the media but none specifically employed in media relations.