§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) special 20W advisers and (b) press officers have been employed by his Department in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and at what cost in each year. [92432]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonIn relation to(a), I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander), on 31 January 2003, Official Report, column 1056W.
With regard to (b), the number of press officers employed by the Lord Chancellor's Department and Court Service since 1994 is as follows:
Press Officers Paybill(£) 1994–95 to 1998–99 3 not available 1999–2000 3 146,558 2000–01 5 152,840 2001–02 6 186,894 2002— 10 not yet available The number of press officers does not include the Director and Deputy Director of Communications who also include media work among their responsibilities.
The increase in numbers of press officers reflects the increasing workload of my Department, including extra responsibilities transferred to us from other Government Departments following machinery of Government changes.
Full annual paybill figures prior to 1999–2000 are not available because press office functions were incorporated into a new group in 1998 and the Department changed accounting systems.