§ Mr. LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many press officers were employed in his Department; and what was the total expenditure on press officers by his Department, at(a) May 1997, (b) January 1998, (c) January 1999 and (d) January 2000. [111620]
§ Ms Beverley HughesDetailed information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial year 1997–98 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 press officers in post and their cost in January 1999 was 34.3 staff costing £109,000 and in January 2000 was 40.8 staff costing £131,000.