§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at I May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84192]
§ Mr. George Robertson[holding answer 18 May 1999]: Detailed 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 (HC770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House. The number of civil servants, excluding administrative support staff, permanently employed in the MOD Press Office on media relations work on 1 May 1999 was 10. In addition three military officers were assigned to the MOD Press Office.
The two Special Advisers in this Department have ad hoc contact with the media but neither is specifically employed in media relations.