§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost of running the Department's press office was in(a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [46804]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 10 April 2002]: The total cost of running the Home Office press office in 1996–97 was £1,229,000. This does not include the cost of the then separate Prison Service Media Relations Unit, for which no detailed central records exist. The costs for the year 2001–02 were £2,415,606 including a cost of £358,399 for media relations for the Prison Service, now integrated into the Home Office press office.
Staff numbers increased when a 'breaking news' press team was established in 2000. This was one of the recommendations from the independent external consultants who carried out a review of the structure and operation of the press office in 1999. One of the benefits has been that media calls to the press office, one of the busiest in Whitehall, are now being answered within four rings 90 per cent. of the time. Previously there were occasions when up to 40 per cent. of media calls were being 'lost'.