Press and Public Relations

HC Deb 19 April 2002 vol 383 c1242W

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) of 20 March 2002.Official Report, column 436W, how much the increase in personnel employed in a press or public relations function in his Department since 1997 has cost. [47554]

Mr. Hutton

[holding answer 10 April 2002]: The annual costs of personnel employed in the Departments Communications Directorate since 1997–98 are shown in the table below (£,000):

Year	News	Publicity	NHS Communications	Total
1997–98	1,062	1,216	399	2,677
1998–99	1,239	1,122	496	2,857
1999–02	1,253	1,276	543	3,072
2000–01	1,233	839	1,159	3,231
2001–02	1,265	904	1,182	3,351

1.It is not possible to provide a comparable breakdown of costs. The figures provided include all Communications Directorate staff (staff and staff related costs).

2.For the financial year 2001–02 the annual budget figures are shown as the final expenditure figures are not yet available.