§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people his Department's press office employs; and how many press officers have left his Department since 7 June 2001. [40212]
§ Mr. ByersI refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today to hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) [ref 40104].
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many(a) full-time and (b) part-time employees in his Department's press office (i) there were in June 2001 and (ii) there are at present; [40104]
218W(2) how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees there were in the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions' press office in May (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001; [40105]
(3) how many people have been hired by his Department's press office since June 2001, on a (a) part-time and (b) full-time basis; [40102]
(4) what impact the departmental restructuring following the 2001 general election had on numbers in DETR/DTLR's press office; [40106]
(5) how many individuals have left through (a) resignation and (b) dismissal from his Department's press office since June 2001. [40103]
§ Mr. Byers[holding answer 4 March 2002]: At the creation of the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions in June 2001 the press office employed: 27 full-time press officers; and two part-time press officers. Currently there are: 28 full-time press officers; and one part-time press officer.
Detailed information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in departmental press offices during the financial year 1997–98 were provided in a memorandum dated 16 June 1998 to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on the Government Information and Communication Service (HC770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House.
Since 7 June 2001, the number of press officers recruited on a permanent basis were nine full-time and one part-time. In addition, two press officers have also been employed on a short-term contract basis.
Eight press officers (all full-time permanent staff) were transferred to the newly created DEFRA following the Machinery of Government changes that led to the creation of DTLR in June 2001.
Other Machinery of Government changes involving the creation of DTLR, and affecting press officer staffing, were negligible in resource terms and did not involve any staff transfers.
The majority of people leaving the DTLR press office have transferred to other Government Departments or agencies in order to gain wider experience to progress their career. It is not Government policy to comment upon the reasons for the departures of individuals.
These figures do not include administrative staff who provide a pooled support service to the Directorate of Communication (of which the press office is only a part).