§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press officers were employed in his Department in(a) May 1997, (b) January 1998, (c) January 1999 and (d) January 2000; and what the total expenditure on press officers by his Department was in each of the years concerned. [132759]
§ Ms StuartDetailed information on the number of press officers employed by the Department during the financial year 1997–98 and 1998–99 was provided in Appendix II of the report, "The Government Information 755W and Communications Service" (HC 770), published by the Select Committee on Public Administration (29 July 1998). Copies are available in the Library.
As at January 2000, the Department employed 16 press officers. Cost of press officers employed by the Department in the financial year 1999–2000 was £590,000.