HC Deb 28 July 2000 vol 354 cc962-3W
Mr. Lansley

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press officers were employed in her 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. [132760]

Mr. Foulkes

Detailed information on the number of press officers employed by the Department during the financial years 1997–98 and 1998–99 was provided in Appendix II of the report "The Government Information 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 three press officers. The cost of these press officers in the financial year 1999–2000 is estimated to have been £84,000.