HC Deb 16 November 2001 vol 374 c933W
Pete Wishart

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what were the total(a) publication and (b) advertising costs for the Department in each of the past four years. [15692]

Clare Short

Expenditure in relation to publications in the years in question is as follows:

Year £000
1997–98 166
1998–99 347
1999–2000 570
2000–01 639

We have adopted a policy of openness and now publish policy documents that were previously kept secret.

We do not hold a separate advertising budget. However, the bulk of our advertising is in relation to recruitment, on which we spend around £1–£1.2 million per year.