Special Advisers and Press Officers

HC Deb 24 October 2001 vol 373 cc261-2W

Pete Wishart

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many(a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed (i) full time, (ii) part time and (iii) on a contract basis by her Department in each year since 1992. [6885]

Tessa Jowell

Details for my Department (previously the Department of National Heritage) are shown.

Special Advisers

A total of 18 special advisers have been employed under contract over different periods since 1992 (15 full-time and three part-time) to maintain a maximum complement of one post in the years 1992 to 1995 and two posts from 1996 onwards.

Press Officers

A total of 82 press officers have been employed under contract over different periods since 1992 (81 full-time and one part-time) to maintain a maximum complement of seven posts during the years 1992 to 1998 and eight posts from 1999 onwards.