§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions 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. [84201]
§ Mr. Meale[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 were 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 number of GICS Press Officers in post in DETR(C) on 1 May 1999 was 37.
Special Advisers in this Department have ad hoc contact with the media but none are specifically employed in media relations.