§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
To what extent and from which companies, if any, commercial sponsorship has been used to defray the costs of preparation, publication and distribution of the Government's Annual Report. [HL3402]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonNo commercial sponsorship has been used to defray the costs of preparation of the Government's Annual Report. The report was published and distributed by The Stationery Office, which is a private sector company.
§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
To what extent the Strategic Communications Unit was involved in the preparation of the Government's Annual Report; and whether they consider that involvement, in so far as it exists, to be satisfactory; and [HL3401]
Further to the observation of the Leader of the House that the Annual Report was written by civil servants and is "a wholly official document" (H.L. Deb., 12 July, col. 395), from which government departments the civil servants who prepared the document were drawn. [HL3403]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonAll three of the Government's Annual Reports have been based on contributions and standard briefing provided by departments. They have been edited by a civil servant, from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, who is now based in the Strategic Communications Unit of the Prime Minister's Office. Other civil servants in the unit assisted with the preparation of the report in addition to their other duties. The Government are fully satisfied with the role of the unit in the preparation of the Report.