§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many press releases were issued by his Department in the financial years(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000; how many have been issued in the current financial year; and what his estimate is of the total number for the current financial year. [149250]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe total number of press releases issued by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (central) and the former Departments of the Environment and Transport (excluding agencies) in the financial years(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, and (d) 1999–2000, together with the total issued in 2000–01, is as follows:
Financial year Number of press releases DoT/DoE 1996–97 994 DoT/DoE/DETR(c) 1997–98 855 DETR(c) 1998–99 1,217 DETR(c) 1999–2000 1,153 DETR(c) 12000–01 569 1 Ten months to 31 January The estimate for the total number of press releases for the current financial year, based on an extrapolation of releases already issued, is 680.