§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the annual budget for communications activities, including press, public relations, marketing and internal communications, was for his Department for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2001–02. [39923]
§ Mr. WillsThe Lord Chancellor's Department's communications functions were incorporated into a new group in 1998. The full annual costs for arrangements for earlier FYs are no longer available. The annual budget since 1999–2000 for the LCD Communications Group, which serves LCD Headquarters; the Court Service; the Law Commission and the Official Solicitor's Office is listed below. These figures include salaries and other staff costs. The costs of any work done in other parts of the Department which contributed to communications objectives are not available.
£ 1999–2001 927,000 2000–2002 1,081,000 (Plus funding of £4 million for a public information campaign on the introduction of the Community Legal Service). 2001–2003 1,431,000 (Estimated to end of financial year). During this period, the staff of Communications Group increased from 12 in 1998–1999 to 24 in 2001–2002 which reflects the increased responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor's Department including functions transferred from other Government departments, and the development of the LCD website team.