HC Deb 15 March 2000 vol 346 cc255-6W
Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the(a) Civil Service grade and (b) areas of responsibility of each of the staff employed in the Cabinet Office Press Office. [114751]

Mr. Stringer

The Cabinet Office Press Office is arranged as followsSenior Civil Servant—Director of Information One Band A—Head of News and Deputy Director of Information One Band A and one Band 2—Minister for the Cabinet Office, Duchy of Lancaster, Security and Intelligence Matters, Social Exclusion policies Two Band B2s—Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Better Government for Older People, Central IT Unit, Performance and Innovation Unit and Public Service Delivery Two Band B2s—The Government's policy on the misuse of drugs and the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator and his Deputy Three Band B2s—Parliamentary Secretary—Cabinet Office (Graham Stringer), Regulatory Impact Unit, Civil Service Issues, Charter Mark and Centre for Policy and Management Studies One Band A and two Band B2s—Ministerial Group on Biotechnology and Genetic Modification and Co-ordination of the Government's policy One Band A and two Band B2s—Leader of the House of Lords, Women's Issues and Modernisation of the House of Lords. Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer) including his responsibilities for the Millennium Dome and Active Communities One Band A and one Band B2—Leader of the House of Commons, Parliamentary Secretary—Privy Council Office (Paddy Tipping), Commissioner for Public Appointments, Ministers' and MPs' pay, Ministerial Code, Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA), Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and Honours Two Band B2s—Publication and Publicity One Band B2—Forward Planning and Finance.

In addition the following staff are employed to support the above press offices: One B2, three B1s, three C2s and one C1.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what was the budget for running the Cabinet Office Press Office in each of the last 10 financial years. [114752]

Mr. Stringer

The actual cost for running the Cabinet Office Press Office, including all staff costs, running costs and capital spend, has been:

Year £
1995–96 585,110
1996–97 1,562,000
1997–98 1,322,560
1998–99 1,640,480
1999–2000 11,918,000
1 Allocated Budget

Note:

Figures for previous years are not available

The figures have been rising steadily due to the increased range of Cabinet Office responsibilities.

Since 1996–97 the Cabinet Office Press Office has administered a regional network of press officers to carry out work on behalf of central Government.